National Mourning Declared As Landslide Death Toll Rises In South Ethiopia

Rights Commission has announced 65 casualties so far

The federal government has declared a three-day period of national mourning beginning today following catastrophic landslides and floods that decimated communities across the South Ethiopia Regional State.

Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, Tagesse Chafo, confirmed that the national flag will fly at half-mast, including at all diplomatic missions abroad, to honor the victims of the disaster.

The tragedy struck late Tuesday night, March 10, and continued into Wednesday, as unseasonal torrential rains triggered massive soil shifts in the Gamo Zone. According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) statement released Friday, March 13, the disaster impacted six kebeles across the Gacho Baba, Bonke, Kamba Zuria, and West Abaya weredas.

It added that the most severe destruction occurred in Laka Kebele within the Gacho Baba district, where entire households were buried under mud and debris while residents slept.

In the statement EHRC Chief Commissioner Birhanu Adelo confirmed that search teams have recovered 65 bodies. However, the death toll is expected to exceed 125, as approximately 60 people remain missing and are presumed dead.

The disaster has displaced close to 3,500 people, leaving them in a critical humanitarian crisis as residential homes and vast farmlands were completely obliterated.

“The response must be human rights-based, coordinated, and performed immediately,” said the Commissioner, emphasizing the need for federal and international intervention to provide urgent food, water, and medical care.

He specifically urged responders to prioritize vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, who face the highest risk in the wake of such displacement.

Reports show that the Gamo Zone is geographically susceptible to such disasters due to its steep, mountainous terrain and high levels of soil degradation. This latest tragedy evokes grim memories of the July 2024 landslide in the Gofa Zone, which stands as one of the deadliest in the nation’s history, claiming over 250 lives when a second landslide buried rescuers who had gathered to help victims of an initial collapse.

On Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (PhD) expressed his deep condolences in a social media post, stating he is “deeply saddened by the loss of life” and confirming that the World Health Organization is “ready to support the government in providing emergency health services” to the survivors.

He emphasized that the immediate health risks, including waterborne diseases and trauma care, must be met with an urgent international response.

“Emergency medical supplies – including trauma kits, cholera treatment materials, nutrition kits for children, and water disinfection supplies – are being prepared for delivery,” he stated.

As respondents struggle with blocked transport routes, federal officials have signaled that search and recovery operations will continue until all missing persons are accounted for.