Floods caused by heavy rain have killed more than 20 people in Ethiopia. Furthermore, in the affected region Somali In the east of the country, more than 12 thousand people have to leave their homes, the regional government announced on Saturday. Houses, bridges and roads were destroyed and many animals were killed.
The risk remains high
According to the regional government, torrential rains are expected to continue in the coming days. “The risk of flooding remains high.”
➤ Read more about the weather here
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) warned last month that East Africa would likely receive more rain than usual between October and December this year. The reason given was the climate phenomenon El Niño.
El Niño is characterized by the warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean. The weather phenomenon occurs on average every two to seven years and generally lasts nine to twelve months. El Niño causes heat and drought in some regions of the world and heavy rain in others.