The flood destroyed everything: We are helping people affected by the flooding of the Omo River

Published: Jun 25, 2024 Reading time: 3 minutes

Water and Hygiene Natural Disasters Refugees Support of Refugees

In early 2024, flooding of the Omo River displaced approximately 80,000 villagers in Dasenech Woreda in Southern Ethiopia. The flood caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including health and education facilities. The population now lives in 12 sites for internally displaced people (IDP). We are addressing their most urgent needs and distributing household equipment and dignity kits.

Namutam Lokuta, a resident of an IDP site in Desenach, built her own temporary shelter. This is a circular structure with a narrow entrance that requires kneeling to enter. Despite the hot weather, homes are built from simple wood and iron sheets covered with plastic.

Namutam, a mother of eight, used to grow bananas and sell straw. She was first displaced six years ago, but repeated flooding of the Omo River has forced her to move several times, finally settling in an IDP centre ten months ago. "The flood destroyed all my produce," Namutam said.

We have met many of her essential needs; we have provided household items like jerry cans, laundry and bathroom soap, and dignity kits with underwear and sanitary pads. "I use the jerry cans to fetch water, bathe my children with the soap, wash clothes, and use the sanitary pads," she added. We travel across Dasenech using locally made wooden boats. These boats are vital in our delivery of essential supplies to remote and hard-to-reach people.

Kuruluk Pkono, the chairman of the Sir Meret Kebele, was once a model farmer recognised by the government. Reflecting on the past, Kuruluk felt a deep sense of loss. He used to manage a farm that produced several truckloads of agricultural goods, coordinating with village youth to continue farming despite recurrent floods. Now, he is living in the IDP centre, waiting for the aid given to the community.

"Our farm was exemplary, growing bananas and corn, attracting many visitors from various places," Kuruluk recalled. Now, the floods have destroyed all their agricultural products, leaving them in a dire situation under scorching weather, awaiting aid. Kuruluk expressed disappointment, despair, and disbelief that he was now dependent on aid.

"Now, all the cattle are gone, all our possessions destroyed. We are living on this arid land, sharing what little aid we receive. Some strong individuals resort to fishing, but otherwise, we have nothing," he said.

Despite the challenges, Kuruluk is grateful for the support from People in Need and the European Union, appreciating their efforts to deliver non-food items (NFIs) without proper roads. He hopes to receive further food or cash support to improve the community's situation.

The CIS IDP cluster includes five Kebeles, accommodating 12,000 displaced people. We distributed jerry cans, laundry and bathroom soap, and dignity kits with underwear and sanitary pads to 600 households, benefiting 5,224 displaced people, thanks to the EU financial support.

Access to clean water remains a challenge for this community. We have purified the river water and established three water points. Our colleagues have successfully provided clean water worth 5.8 million ETB (approximately €94000), benefiting 1,148 households. With the arrival of the rainy season, which lasts until September, floods might occur again, and the community will need strong support more than ever, demanding the attention of humanitarian organisations.