The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) mourns the tragic deaths of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters caused by the recent landslide in the Gofa Region, in Southern Ethiopia. The death toll for this natural disaster has risen to 257 lives in the afternoon of 25 July, with about 15,000 people devastated as their houses were destroyed. SAFTU extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
The tragedy of this landslide is that others may be buried and never to be recorded.The citizens of Ethiopia have endured numerous natural disasters over the past 12 months. In May 2024, floods tragically claimed the lives of 157 people in Gezei Gofa Woreda of the Gofa Zone, South Ethiopia Region. In November 2023, floods in Southern and Eastern Ethiopia resulted in the deaths of 20 people. Additionally, flash floods in March 2023 took 45 lives in the Southwest Ethiopia Peoples’ and Afar regions. These disasters have displaced approximately 296,000 Ethiopian citizens, creating a truly tragic and devastating situation. In 2016, a landslide and floods struck, killing about 50. Landslides, like floods, are caused by heavy rainfall.These natural disasters reflect that climate change is underway. Unfortunately, Africa is paying for the climate caused disasters to whose change they did not contribute. It is the European metropoles and North America that have contributed significantly to the global warming and climate measured by the size of the carbon emission today and in the past. China has joined this fray of climate polluters, with a large carbon footprint.
In the meantime, immediate action to rebuild the settlements of displaced citizens, and assist with food, water, and medics must be taken. The government of Ethiopia must consider relocating the people to areas that are not floodplains and those whose soil is not sandy and silt, because such lands cannot absorb huge amounts of rain pours.
SAFTU urges regional and continental bodies to assist governments in building disaster-resistance settlements and relocating people to disaster-prone regions. This requires a climate fund that could be aimed at areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters across the African continent.
