Pope Francis Expresses Closeness with “sorely tried population” of Southern Ethiopia following Deadly Landslides

“The situation is escalating rapidly, with 28 neighbourhoods identified as being at risk. These areas are experiencing the most severe effects, including significant damage to infrastructure and homes,” Fr. Gugala said.

Continued rainfall, the Ethiopian Catholic Priest said, “is a major concern, as it increases the likelihood of additional landslides.”

“This ongoing threat necessitates further evacuations and poses a significant challenge to emergency response efforts. The weather conditions are unpredictable, and the situation could deteriorate further if the rain persists,” he said.

According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Southern Ethiopia has been stricken by particularly heavy rain and flooding in recent months.

While heavy rains and flooding are caused by a variety of factors, climate change is seen to increase the likelihood of extreme rainfall and deadly floods, resulting in landslides.

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Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel , the Local Ordinary of Ethiopia’s of Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa, has expressed the solidarity of the Church with those affected by the landslides.

In a message ACI Africa obtained on July 25, Cardinal Berhaneyesus described the landslide as tragic, noting that the Church in Ethiopia stands with those affected.

“The Ethiopian Catholic Church expresses Her deepest sorrow over the devastating landslide that occurred on July 21, 2024, in Kencho Shacha Gozdi Kebele, Geze Gofa Woreda, Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia,” the Archbishop of Addis Ababa, who doubles as the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) said.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis has lamented that production and sale of weapons continues amid calamities and hunger worldwide.

“While there are many people in the world who suffer due to disasters and hunger, we continue to produce and sell weapons and burn resources fuelling wars, large and small,” the Holy Father said at the conclusion of the July 28 Angelus.

The continued sale of war ammunitions, he added, “is an outrage that the international community should not tolerate.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.