Urgent appeal for Omo River flood victims

Omo Relief Committee | September 8, 2006

Residents of the Southern Nationalities, Nations and People's State in Ethiopia walk through flooded lands after massive flashfloods in Tolta. The Red Cross has increased its emergency appeal for funds to help the survivors of deadly flooding in Ethiopia to 3.2 million euros (4.2 million dollars).(AFP/File/Abraham Fisseha)

This forced the river to leave its banks and wash away the people and their livelihoods. By any account, this area is one of the worst affected by the prevailing floods in Ethiopia. According to the elderly and local officials, the rain and the Omo River have never been so hostile to the people of Geleb and Bume as they have been this past August when the deluge raised the death toll to nearly 400 and marooned over tens of thousands of people.

There are confirmed reports that flooding in the Southern Omo has claimed the lives of about 400 residents mainly in the Dassenach (Galeb) and Nyangtaom (Bume) woredas (administrative subdistricts) of the South Omo zone, and has displaced approximately 10,000 people and washed away more than 3000 livestock and 800 traditional grain stores (silos). The affected area is in the isolated delta of the Omo River in both Dassenach and Nyangataom woredas, about 800 km away from the capital, Addis Ababa. Around 14 villages in these two woredas are flooded and isolated from each other by the water. The flood has destroyed large areas covered by crops and much of the pastureland.

In some places the flood completely immersed a village and killed all the residents. No survivor came out. It is heart-breaking to learn that dead bodies could not be found in some places because the river has taken them down to Lake Turkana. As more information is obtained from the remote villages now encircled by floodwaters, the level of casualties is expected to be even higher. There are still gaps in the search and rescue mission; much of the affected populations have been stranded by the floodwaters. The water level is continuing to rise, increasing the population at risk and exacerbating the humanitarian crises.

The international community and Ethiopians abroad have on many occasions assisted Ethiopian victims of natural and man made calamities. In the spirit of this tradition, we appeal to all Ethiopians and others to help the Dassenech and Nyangataom people affected massively by the continued flooding that has claimed many lives and caused immense property damage.

A team, Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Flood Victims of Southern Omo has been established to coordinate the assistance efforts to the victims of flooding in South Omo. This committee is established under the auspices of the Southern Advancement Support Organization Inc., a certified and legally operating nonprofit organization. The Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Flood Victims of Southern Omo will do its share of increasing the awareness of the international community and Ethiopians abroad about the gravity of the humanitarian crises in South Omo, and will coordinate the collection of funds for emergency aid (food, shelter, medical care) and rehabilitation.

We have opened an account has at SunTrust Bank (account Number is 1000043166833 and routing # is 061000104) for this effort. We plead to you to pledge money to this effort and deposit or transfer your contributions to this account. The Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Flood Victims of Southern Omo will continue to inform the public about the immediate needs and required assistance in the future. Please address any questions or suggestions you may have to the Committee at Galebumifund@yahoo.com.

Committee for the Rehabilitation of the flood victims of Southern Omo
September 7, 2006