U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-Up 340
12 - 18 August 2006


CONTENTS:

ERITREA: One reported killed in landmine explosion
ETHIOPIA: Flash flood kills 125 in the south
ETHIOPIA: Acute watery diarrhoea claims more lives
ETHIOPIA: Flood affects 6,000 people in the north
SOMALIA: Emergency humanitarian conditions in the south
SOMALIA: Transitional govt, Islamic courts agree to talks
SUDAN: Flooding near new dam displaces thousands
SUDAN: Cholera on the rise in Darfur


See also:

SOMALIA: Finding an end to the Somali crisis at:
http://www.irinnews.org/S_report.asp?ReportID=55178

HORN OF AFRICA: Appeal for assistance as flood toll rises at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55157

ETHIOPIA: Poor communication hampering flood response at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55141


ERITREA: One reported killed in landmine explosion

The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is 
investigating landmine explosions in which two boys were reportedly 
wounded, one fatally, south of the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

In a statement issued on Friday, UNMEE said the incidents occurred on 17 
and 22 July in the villages of Tisha in Senafe subzone and Arazen in 
Tserona.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55123]


ETHIOPIA: Flash flood kills 125 in the south

As many as 125 people were killed and at least 6,000 affected by heavy 
rains on Sunday night, which forced the Omo river to burst its banks and 
flood five villages in remote southern Ethiopia, officials said on 
Tuesday. This brings the number of deaths due to flooding in the country 
to at least 400 in the past week.

Inspector Daniel Gezahegne, head of public relations for the Police 
Commission in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples' Region, 
said the death toll was expected to increase once the rescue operation 
was under way.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55121]


ETHIOPIA: Acute watery diarrhoea claims more lives

The number of deaths from acute watery diarrhoea in the Oromiya and the 
Southern Nations and Nationalities regions of Ethiopia has increased to 
an alarming level, a United Nations agency has warned.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 
in its weekly bulletin on Monday that the disease had claimed the lives 
of 89 people and affected 9,270 in the regions since June.

[Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55106]


ETHIOPIA: Flood affects 6,000 people in the north

While the search continues for 290 people still missing after the 
devastating flood waters in Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia, officials 
reported that 6,000 people in the northern area had also been affected.

"In the middle of Wednesday night, Tekeze River overflowed and caused 
heavy flooding in Humera town, 1,000 kms from Addis Ababa [the capital], 
displacing 2,000 people," said Sebu Hagos, public relations officer and 
adviser to the Western Tigray Administration.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55102]


SOMALIA: Emergency humanitarian conditions in the south

Any increase in conflict could create a severe humanitarian crisis in 
Somalia, according to a United Nations agency.

In a statement released in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Tuesday, the 
UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Food Security Analysis Unit 
for Somalia (FSAU) warned that double the 1.8 million people currently 
in need of urgent assistance were at risk.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55140]


SOMALIA: Transitional govt, Islamic courts agree to talks

After initially refusing to take part in peace negotiations, Somalia's 
transitional government and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which 
controls the capital Mogadishu, have agreed to resume talks in the 
Sudanese capital, Khartoum, officials said.

"We have decided to participate in the talks in the interest of the 
people," Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the UIC chairman, said on Tuesday.

[Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55122]


SUDAN: Flooding near new dam displaces thousands

Rising floodwaters have displaced more than 2,200 families from the Amri 
community living near the Merowe/Hamadab dam on the River Nile in 
northern Sudan, local sources say.

According to a report by an activist group, the Leadership Office of 
Hamadab Affected People (LOHAP), the Merowe dam authorities opened the 
floodgates on 7 August and started to fill up the reservoir behind the 
dam.

[Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55139]


SUDAN: Cholera on the rise in Darfur

The number of cases of acute watery diarrhoea has increased noticeably 
in the past four weeks, with outbreaks reported in camps for internally 
displaced persons (IDPs) in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, as 
well as urban areas, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.

"We're concerned because diarrhoeal diseases are a major killer of 
children," Edward Carwardine, UNICEF senior communications officer, 
said.

[Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55103]


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