ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia has declared three days of national mourning after the death toll from heavy rain-triggered landslides in the country’s south rose to at least 80, with recovery teams still searching for people reported missing. The mourning period begins on Saturday, March 14, after lawmakers announced the measure in response to the disaster in Gamo Zone, South Ethiopia Regional State. Bodies have been recovered for days since the slides struck on March 10, as persistent rain complicated search and recovery work.
The disaster hit communities in Gamo Zone after days of intense rainfall, burying residents under mud and debris and forcing emergency teams into a prolonged search operation. Federal authorities said four districts in the zone were affected, while regional officials reported that the number of missing people remained unclear as teams continued to work through difficult terrain. Search efforts stretched through the week, with continuing rainfall slowing access to parts of the affected area and adding to the challenges facing local responders.
In its mourning declaration, Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives said the national flag would be flown at half-mast at government institutions across the country, on Ethiopian ships and at diplomatic missions abroad, including embassies and consular offices. The federal Government Communication Service said the landslides caused significant loss of life and displaced residents in affected communities. Authorities also said senior federal and regional officials had traveled to the area to oversee emergency operations and coordinate support for survivors.
National Mourning Begins
Relief efforts have centered on delivering food, shelter materials and other essential supplies to families uprooted by the disaster. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said 3,461 people had been displaced, underscoring the scale of the humanitarian impact beyond the rising death toll. The regional administration, working with the Disaster Risk Management Commission, said assistance was being mobilized for affected households while donations from private citizens and businesses were also being directed toward relief. Officials said support was focused on immediate needs as recovery operations continued.
Authorities said assessments were also under way in nearby high-risk areas to reduce the danger of further slides during the rainy season. Residents living in locations considered vulnerable to landslides were being moved to safer areas as a precaution, while local officials intensified the search for those still unaccounted for. The disaster drew national attention as the death toll continued to rise over several days, moving from early reports of dozens killed to at least 80 recovered bodies by Friday.
Rainy Season Threat Persists
The landslides came as parts of East Africa entered a rainy period that forecasters had warned could bring above-average precipitation in several countries, including Ethiopia. Regional climate officials said before the season began that there was a significant chance of wetter-than-normal conditions across much of the Greater Horn of Africa, and Ethiopian authorities have urged residents in highland and erosion-prone areas to follow safety guidance. In Gamo Zone, that warning turned urgent as continuing rainfall slowed access to affected communities and complicated recovery work.
For Ethiopia, the mourning period formalizes a nationwide response to a disaster that has left dozens of families bereaved and thousands displaced in the south. Officials have not said the search is complete, and both the number of missing and the full extent of damage to homes and livelihoods were still being assessed as emergency operations continued. Recovery teams continued searching for victims in Gamo Zone on Friday while authorities worked to verify missing persons and deliver aid to displaced families – By Content Syndication Services.