Over 80 000 people evacuating as seismic activity increases in Afar and Oromia, Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s Afar and Oromia regions have experienced a sharp increase in seismic activity between January 4 and 6, 2025. More than 20 earthquakes which ranged in magnitude from 4.2 and 5.8 were recorded in the Awash and Dulecha districts during this period.

The strongest tremor of the M5.8 earthquake struck near the Dofen mountains on January 4 damaging infrastructure including the Kesem Sugar Factory.

The seismic activity in the region started on December 22, 2024, and is believed to be linked to magma movement in the Fentale volcanic complex within the Main Ethiopian Rift.

Steam vents emitting gases have been observed though it remains uncertain whether a volcanic eruption will occur. Scientists are conducting assessments to understand the potential risks including the possibility of an eruption from Fentale, Dofen, or a new volcanic vent.

Approximately 80 000 people have been impacted across the 2 regions with 60 000 affected in Afar and 20 000 in Oromia. The government is relocating residents from high-risk areas to safer locations to mitigate risks.

Over 13 730 households in Afar and approximately 1 400 households in Oromia have already been relocated on January 6. A total of 30 000 people have been evacuated with plans to relocate an additional 50 000.

13 relocation sites have been designated in the affected areas. In the Awash district, these include Daido, Asbole Boda, and Medala. In the Dulecha district, Garrayto, Hadale Abur, Gudili, and Daido have been identified.

In Oromia, sites such as Tututi, Turo, Gidara, Alge, Galcha, Fateledi, Sarawayba, and Matahara town are being prepared to accommodate the displaced population.

The earthquake has caused damage to homes, health centers, schools, roads, and critical infrastructure despite no reported casualties.

Expanding fissures in the ground have raised concerns about the Kesem/Sabure Dam which holds a substantial volume of water. Any structural failure could result in catastrophic flooding downstream and can endanger hundreds of thousands of lives while the dam is engineered to withstand earthquakes up to an M5.6.

Humanitarian assistance is underway in both regions. In Afar, emergency shelter materials including plastic sheets, mattresses, and cooking sets have been distributed. Mobile health teams supported by 9 experts from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute are providing healthcare services for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Water trucking services are being provided by the Ethiopian National Defense Force and other agencies with UNICEF preparing to deliver additional water tankers.

Food aid has also been mobilized. 13 trucks carrying food supplies including pasta, wheat, and nutritional supplements, have been dispatched to Afar while 3 trucks have reached Oromia. The Emergency Disaster Response and Management Commission in collaboration with the World Food Programme and World Vision Ethiopia is spreadheading these efforts.

The government and humanitarian partners have launched a Multi-Sectoral Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) to determine the needs of the displaced population and evaluate the extent of losses. The assessment will inform the prioritization of aid distribution and infrastructure repairs.

Zonal Incident Command Posts have been established in Metehara (Oromia) and Awash (Afar) to oversee the emergency response.

The command posts are coordinating efforts between government agencies and humanitarian organizations which are led by the Disaster Risk Management Commission and co-chaired by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The recent seismic activity follows months of increased tremors in the region which have been increasing since October 2024. In December 2024, several M5 earthquakes were recorded and were accompanied by the opening of steam vents.

References:

¹ Update on the seismic situation in Afar and Oromia Regions, Ethiopia – Reliefweb – January 6, 2025

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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