The Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items Cluster in Ethiopia (ES/NFI) Cluster in Ethiopia works arduously to facilitate coordination among its partners to support government efforts in providing shelter and non-food item assistance. While the cluster primarily focuses on communities affected by conflicts, it also addresses needs arising from events due to natural hazards such as floods and landslides. 

In 2024, landslides significantly impacted over 146,800 people across at least 24 zones (81 woredas), resulting in more than 267 fatalities. While fatalities are infrequent, landslides carry significant risk since occasionally they claim many lives, for example, the landslides on July 22, 2024, in the Gofa zone, affecting the villages of Kencho, Shacha, and Gozdi, which claimed at least 250 lives. 

Landslides also place affected individuals in extremely vulnerable situations by displacing them from their homes and communities and damaging or destroying their shelters. Even communities not directly hit by a landslide are often evacuated from high-risk areas having to occupy emergency or temporary shelters. This increases their exposure to various risks, including harsh environmental conditions, health hazards, compromised safety and security, psychological impacts, and disruptions to children’s education and development. This vulnerability is even greater for women, girls, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

 Humanitarian actors and the Emergency Shelter and NFI Cluster are concerned about the frequency, intensity, and impact of these events on communities and their members. They are also focused on understanding what can be done to mitigate these impacts in a sustainable manner. It is crucial to prepare better and work closely with communities to empower them to take control of their safety. To manage these events effectively and achieve positive changes, it is necessary to understand the phenomenon, its causes, and consequences, and any changes in patterns that require different approaches.