50 000 displaced by volcano

2005-10-03 22:09

Addis Ababa - About 50 000 nomads in Ethiopia's Afar region were displaced as a result of last week's eruption of a volcano, officials there said on Monday.

Mount Arteale, about 1 000km northeast of Addis Ababa, erupted on September 26 after an earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale.

There were no human casualties, but hundreds of head of livestock were killed.

Afar state officials said a team had been formed to address the woes facing those displaced. Large areas of land they used for grazing are now covered by lava.

"A committee has been set up at regional level to study the magnitude of the damage caused as a result of the earthquake and volcano... and to relocate or resettle more than 50 000 people from the area," state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted Afar state chief administrator Ishmael Alisero as saying.

Ishmael explained that affected people would be moved to Fenti Zone, about 400km south of the volcano-hit zone.

In addition, the team - made up of government officials and disaster response experts - would facilitate delivery of humanitarian supplies to the displaced nomads, who lost more than 450 goats, 75 camels and 10 donkeys, he added.

- AFP