626 Killed in Ethiopia Floods; Death Toll Expected to Rise

By Les Neuhaus Associated Press | August 17, 2006

Nearly 900 people have been killed in the floods over the last 30 days

Rivers in southern, northern and eastern Ethiopia burst their banks, and forecasters predicted more rain. The death toll in southern Ethiopia was 364, and police there said it could reach 1,000. At least 256 were killed in the east, and at least six were killed in the north.

According to the United Nations, 300 people were still missing in the east, and police said they were calling off the search for bodies in the region while continuing their search and rescue in the south.

"Things are getting out of control," said Inspector Daniel Gezahenge, a spokesman for the southern regional police. "We need additional helicopters and boats for rescuing."

The country's rescue efforts have been bolstered by the United Nations and other international agencies, but officials say it's not enough.

"We are appealing to aid agencies and the international community for medical supplies, food, clean water, blankets and anything that can help," Daniel said. "There are dead bodies and animals in the water, making the likelihood for a disease outbreak very high."

Sisay Tadesse, spokesman for the government-run Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency, said some countries were preparing to send search and rescue teams, but he did not name the countries.

Daniel said workers were burying most bodies immediately to prevent a disease outbreak. The nearest morgue was more than 124 miles away from the flood area.

Abnezer Ngowi, the U.N. World Food Program's acting country director in Ethiopia, said the floods were an "unprecedented disaster" in the country.

"It is a terrible situation. Children are being orphaned, and residents in the communities are undergoing a horrible event. The loss of life due to the floods is terrible," Ngowi said.

Rescuers fear a cholera outbreak among survivors because the disease is transmitted through contaminated water and is linked to poor hygiene, crowding and bad sanitation. Symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting, and the disease can kill unless treated quickly.

The rains, which usually fall between June and September, are some of the heaviest seen in a country that frequently suffers severe drought and where millions depend on international aid for food.

Ethiopia's weather agency predicted more heavy rains in the coming days, prompting the government to issue flood warnings along the country's longest river, the Awash, which stretches 746 miles.