Explanation of Recent Severe Flooding in Southern Ethiopia, Eastern Kenya, and Somalia

 World Weather Attribution posted on 7 December 2023 an academic study by various specialists titled "Compounding Natural Hazards and High Vulnerability Led to Severe Impacts from Horn of Africa Flooding Exacerbated by Climate Change and Indian Ocean Dipole."

After years of drought, the short rainy season (October to December) in the Horn of Africa brought exceptionally heavy rains, particularly in November, leading to severe flooding in the south of Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and many regions in southern and central Somalia.  In Somalia alone, more than 100 Somalis lost their lives and more than one million have been displaced.  

Climate change and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) contributed approximately equally to the flooding event.  The IOD is a natural phenomenon that oscillates between neutral, positive, and negative phases while human-induced climate change will continue to increase until the burning of fossil fuels is stopped.  

Climate Change to Impact Addis Ababa Negatively

 The Conversation published on 13 September 2023 a commentary titled "Addis Ababa Faces Growing Climate Change Risks Like Heat, Drought and Floods, Study Warns" by Abay Yimere, Addis Ababa University.

Due to climate change, Addis Ababa will likely face increased heatwaves, extreme drought, and severe flooding in the future.  

Oxfam's Worst Climate Hotspots Mostly in Africa

 Oxfam published on 16 September 2022 a report titled "Hunger in a Heating World: How the Climate Crisis Is Fuelling Hunger in an Already Hungry World."

Climate change is fueling hunger for millions of people around the world.  Oxfam looked at 10 of the worst affected "climate hotspots"--those countries with the most recurring UN humanitarian appeals in response to major extreme weather events since 2000.  Seven of the 10 countries are in Africa:  Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.  The other three are Afghanistan, Guatemala, and Haiti.  

Oxfam found that acute hunger has more than doubled in those countries just over the past six years.  Nearly 18 million people in these 10 countries are currently on the brink of starvation.

China to Launch Second Satellite for Ethiopia

 The East African published on 30 September 2020 an article titled "Ethiopia Readies to Launch Second Satellite, Plans for 10 More by 2035" by Tesfa-Alem Tekle.

China launched Ethiopia's first satellite in 2019.  It was designed for weather forecasting and crop monitoring.  China is scheduled to launch a second satellite in December 2020 for flood and disaster prediction.  Over the next ten years, Ethiopia plans to launch seven more satellites, including a communication satellite next year.  

Chinese Rocket, Ethiopian Satellite

Space in Africa reported on Ethiopia's new satellite in an article dated 6 January 2020 and titled "ETRSS-1 Captures First Test Images" by Ogechi Onuoha.

On 20 December 2019, a Chinese Long March 4B rocket launched a 70 kilogram Ethiopian civil earth observation satellite to provide data to monitor the environment and study weather patterns. The first test images are now arriving.

AFP ran a story dated 2 January 2020 titled "No, It Is a Chinese Rocket Doctored with the Ethiopian Flag." It seems that social media has been carrying pictures of a Chinese rocket doctored with the Ethiopian flag and logo, suggesting that an Ethiopian rocket launched the satellite. Although probably all in good fun, it was a Chinese rocket.