Responding to Ethiopia's Deadly Floods

Village elder Kolcha Balango credits Mercy Corps' conflict-resolution trainings with helping him solve a dispute between two neighboring farmers in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. Photo: Dan Sadowsky/Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps responded to Ethiopia's deadly flooding by helping those marooned in villages along the Omo River in the southwest corner of the country.

Floods in August left more than 630 people dead and nearly 200,000 homeless and took heavy tolls on agriculture and livestock, according to the International Herald Tribune.

The flooded region is near where Mercy Corps works to help communities resolve conflicts over tribal boundaries and natural resources. An agency assessment team dispatched during the floods found that while food and other relief supplies appear adequate, reaching those in need was extremely difficult

Mercy Corps responded by supplying soap and jerry cans to affected families, filling in the gaps left by other aid agencies who responded to the emergency.

We continue to monitor the needs of Ethiopian families threatened by these deadly floods, and to ensure that families can rebuild their homes and replenish their livestock after the waters subside.