IRC Airlifts Aid to Ethiopian Flood Victims

Tomorrow IRC will send 18 metric tons of blankets, cooking pots and plates, soap, and blankets. The supplies will be transported to Gode, located approximated 650 kilometers south-east of the capital Addis Ababa, via US military air carrier.

“Gode zone is completely cut off by road to the outside world because of the flooding,” says IRC Country Director David Murphy.  “We hear reports that there are trucks loaded with emergency relief stranded in the surrounding areas but unable to get through. We’re just lucky that we can airlift our emergency relief via the US military.”

Sixty-seven people have died and up to 217,000 people have been affected after the Shabelle River burst its banks after five days of heavy rain.  It is not known how many people have been displaced by the latest flash flooding, which occurred ten days ago.  It’s feared the situation will be further exacerbated with continuing heavy rains.

“This region has already been hit hard. In mid-August, flooding in the same area killed four people and displaced approximately 56,000,” says David Murphy.  “IRC will do everything it can to support this community.”

IRC’s first airlift will arrive in Gode early on Saturday, November 11th. The items will be distributed by the United Nations and other national and international NGOs working on the ground.  IRC hopes to send an additional airlift of supplies in the following days.

IRC’s emergency intervention is supported by the US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA/USAID).