The National Disaster Risk Management Commission warned that current intense seasonal rainfall could displace 434,000 people out of the two million people at risk in Ethiopia. Man-made and natural disasters posed risks in some parts of the country, according to Damene Damota, deputy commissioner of the Commission. The spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, desert locust infestations, flooding and landslide catastrophes are among the disasters the Commission is dealing with, according to Damene. Northwest, southwest and central parts of the country are forecasted to receive normal and above normal rainfall in this rainy season. Intense rainfall could cause unprecedented flooding and landslide risks in some parts of Ethiopia, according to Fetene Teshome, director-general of the National Meteorology Agency. The Basins Development Authority is also working to prevent flooding and minimise the risk to residents downstream of the dams, particularly in Kesem, Tendaho, Koka and Tana Beles, which are in high risk of flooding.
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