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Ethiopia - Landslides, update
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- According to UN OCHA, as of 24 July, 257 people died but the death toll is expected to rise to 500 following the landslides triggered by heavy rainfall that occurred on 21-22 July in Gezei Gofa Woreda of Gofa Zone (South Ethiopia Region, south-western Ethiopia). Over 15,000 affected people reportedly need to be evacuated.
- Search and rescue operations conducted by local authorities with support from the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and community members are still ongoing.
- The ERCC has received an urgent request for assistance from UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit (JEU), asking the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to deploy one environmental expert in Ethiopia to support the response to the landslides.
- For the next 24 hours, the weather is forecasted to be partly cloudy with possible showers and localized thunderstorms.
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Malawi - Drought Flash Appeal
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- On 23 July, the United Nations in collaboration with the Government of Malawi launched a USD 136.5 million Flash Appeal to address the devastating impacts of El Niño-induced drought currently affecting the country. The appeal seeks to provide life-saving assistance to 4.7 million most vulnerable people.
- The appeal follows a declaration of a State of Disaster in 23 out of the country’s 28 districts by President Lazarus Chakwera on 23 March due to inadequate rains and prolonged dry spells that have severely damaged crops and food production. The UN urged its partners to support the cause, with top priority on food assistance, agriculture and logistics.
- Between May and September 2024, approximately 4.2 million people in Malawi will face acute food insecurity (IPC 3 or above) with an additional 6.7 million people classified as IPC 2. This situation is expected to deteriorate during the October 2024- March 2025 lean season with 5.7 million people (28 per cent of the population) predicted to be in IPC Phase 3 or above.
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India - Severe weather and floods
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- Cloudburst on July 25 causes heavy rainfall and flooding across parts of India, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
- Casualties reported include three in Gujarat, four in Maharashtra, with media indicating higher numbers: 49 in Himachal Pradesh and 61 in Gujarat since June 2024.
- National Disaster Management Department records 464,532 people affected and 3,638 houses damaged as of July 24. State Governments lead search and rescue efforts, seeking additional relief support.
- Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issues red alerts for "exceptionally heavy rainfall" in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and the Konkan region.
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China, Taiwan, Philippines - Tropical Cyclone GAEMI, update
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- Tropical cyclone GAEMI made landfall on 25 July in the mid-morning (UTC) over the eastern coast of Fujian province as a tropical storm and is expected to move north-west over the province and dissipate over the Jiangxi province on 27 July.
- According to the media, in China, more than 240,000 people were temporarily evacuated in the province of Fujian and more than 5,000 rescuers were deployed in the cities of Fuzhou, Putian and Ningde, and Pingtan County. In Taiwan, three people died following its passage on 24 July.
- In the Philippines, more than 1,3 million people have been affected (in combination with the southwest monsoon) and over 800 000 have been displaced.
- On 26-27 July, moderate to very heavy rainfall is expected to most of south-eastern China, the whole of Taiwan, southern Ryukyu islands (southern Japan) and most of the Philippines (particularly the northern regions).
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Japan - Severe weather, floods and landslides
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- Heavy rainfall has been affecting northern Japan since 25 July, in particular Yamagata, Shiga and Akita prefecture, causing floods and landslides and resulting in casualties and damage.
- According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) and media, as of 26 July, one person died in Omonogawa in Akita prefecture, and three people are missing, including two in Shinjo city (Yamagata prefecture) and one in Yuzawa City (Akita prefecture), two people have been injured in Okura Village in Yamagata prefecture. In addition, an evacuation order has been issued for 198,150 people across Akita, Yamagata and Shiga prefectures.
- Over the next 24 hours, more rainfall is forecasted over northern Japan, and emergency warnings for rainfall and landslides have been issued for the Akita prefecture.
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USA - Wildfires
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- Several wildfires have been burning across California, Washington and Oregon (western United States), since 17 July, prompting evacuations and causing damage.
- As of 25 July, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports five wildfires in Oregon that have been burning a total area of approximately 266,014 ha across Baker, Malheur, Grant, Harney, Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties, resulting in 21 injured people and the prompt evacuation of a total of 3,189 people. A wildfire close to Chico city in Butte county in northern California has been burning an area of approximately 2,600 ha, 2,000 people have been evacuated and 1,500 houses have been threatened. In Washington a wildfire has been burning an area of 6,000 ha near the communities of Keller, Koontsville, and Seatons Grove, 60 homes have been evacuated and 210 houses have been threatened.
- Over the next 48 hours, according to the JRC Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), the fire danger forecast is from very high to extreme in the affected areas.
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Floods and flood warnings during the last 24 hours
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- ECHO Daily flash of
26/07/2024
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- Poland: Threshold level 2/2 for Barycz river.
- Switzerland: Threshold level 2/5 for the Bodensee.
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Ethiopia - Landslides, update
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- ECHO Daily flash of
25/07/2024
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- The death toll continues to rise after the landslides triggered by heavy rainfall that occurred on 21-22 July in Gezei Gofa Woreda of Gofa Zone (South Ethiopia Region, south-western Ethiopia).
- According to media, at least 229 people have died while the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) reports 600 people have been displaced due to the events.
- The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission is providing humanitarian assistance to the victims with food and non-food items.
- The ERCC has received an urgent request for assistance from UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit (JEU), asking the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to deploy one environmental expert in Ethiopia tu support the response to the landslides. The DG-ECHO funded Ethiopia Cash Consortium is activating its crisis modifier to provide urgent support to the most vulnerable.
- On 25-26 July, light to moderate rain with localized thunderstorms is expected across the Gofa district.
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Southern Africa Indian Ocean – WFP funding appeal for El Niño/La Niña impact
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- ECHO Daily flash of
25/07/2024
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- The El Niño-induced droughts and floods have triggered a prolonged hunger crisis, requiring a comprehensive, large-scale regional and multi-sectoral response to address the immediate needs of millions of people across Southern Africa.
- Five countries (Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) have declared national drought disasters following extensive dry spells, isolated floods, crop failure, livestock deaths and deteriorating WASH conditions.
- While the current El Niño cycle has come to an end, the consequences will be felt for months to come, with the hunger crisis likely to worsen and persist until the next harvest season (April to May 2025).
- From August to October 2024, La Niña will bring a heightened risk of flooding in countries impacted by El Niño, exacerbating the hunger crisis.
- WFP currently requires USD 409 million to scale up its initial response to provide general food assistance to over 4.5 million people in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe between now and March 2025, with plans to scale up in other El Niño affected countries in the region.
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Philippines - Maritime pollution
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- ECHO Daily flash of
25/07/2024
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- A Philippine-flagged oil tanker capsized and sank off Manila on 25 July early morning hours at nearly seven kilometres (4.3 miles) off Limay municipality in Bataan province, near Manila.
- 16 of the 17 crew members had been rescued from the stricken vessel. The sinking followed days of monsoon rains, exacerbated by a passing offshore Super typhoon GAEMI, that caused landslides and floodings across the archipelago.
- The tanker carries 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil and an oil spill stretching several kilometres has been detected in the waterway.
- The Philippines coast guards are working to contain the spill and stop the fuel from leaking.
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