August 4, 2025 – On July 15, 2025, a devastating windstorm struck Afdera Town in Ethiopia’s Afar Region, displacing nearly 26,000 people. The disaster laid bare the catastrophic impacts of climate change on communities already living on the edge. Now, those affected are struggling to recover amid the destruction and loss. Adding to the challenges there, weather forecasts indicate that severe flooding could impact the region in the coming months. This would further exacerbate already acute humanitarian needs there.
“There is nothing left to eat and there is nowhere left to sleep,” said 50-year-old Asiya Mahamoda, a mother of six and a resident of Afdera who was affected by the windstorm. “The winds destroyed the entire district.”
Located in the Danakil Depression, Afdera, home to over 65,000 people, was battered by high winds that destroyed 2,527 homes, crippled infrastructure, and claimed one life. Thousands are now left without shelter, food, electricity, or access to clean water in one of Ethiopia’s hottest and driest regions. The storm flattened government offices, schools, mosques, factories, banks, and utility infrastructure, leaving the entire town paralyzed.
Extreme weather events like this are increasing in both frequency and intensity in Ethiopia, demonstrating that climate change is not a future threat, but it is a present-day reality that is already destroying lives and livelihoods.
“Nothing like this has ever happened in our region or country before,” said 45-year-old Aeysha Suhulle, mother of five children. “It has been a hard tragedy in the town for us.”
CARE Ethiopia teams on the ground observed firsthand the destruction across the affected areas.
“What happened in Afdera is yet another tragic reminder that climate change is hitting the poorest and most remote communities the hardest,” said Teyent Tedasse, CARE Ethiopia Acting Country Director. “The people of Afdera urgently need shelter, food, clean water, and medical support. But more than that, they need global solidarity and long-term investments in resilience.”
The climate crisis continues to put hundreds of thousands at risk across Ethiopia. Forecasts for the ongoing rainy season (June–September) indicate above-normal rainfall, raising alarm for widespread flooding and landslides. According to the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, up to 300,000 people could be impacted, with at least 11,000 expected to be displaced.
Regions along major rivers and lakes, including the Nile, Rib, Gumera, and Tana, are at high risk of overflow, threatening over 29,000 hectares of cropland, hundreds of water systems, and dozens of schools. In the Dasenech district, the South Omo Zone Disaster Risk Management Office warns that more than 85,000 people face an imminent risk of flooding due to Lake Turkana backflow and Omo River overflow.
Rising climate volatility is fueling a global surge in compounded disasters, and Ethiopia stands as a stark example. From devastating windstorms to escalating flood risks, vulnerable communities are being hit repeatedly, with little time or resources to recover.
Yet just as needs are growing, critical humanitarian aid is being cut, weakening the systems meant to respond. There is an urgent need not only for stronger climate adaptation but also for sustained and increased humanitarian financing to meet growing needs in an era of climate-driven emergencies.
“The Afdera windstorm is a warning of what’s to come,” said Teyent. “Urgent investment in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and community resilience, the next emergency will be deadlier and even more devastating.”
CARE Ethiopia urges donors and partners to mobilize immediate resources to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Afdera and to support preparedness and mitigation efforts across flood-prone regions.
For media inquiries, please email usa.media@care.org, or contact David Mutua, CARE East Central, & Southern Africa Regional Communications Advisor david.mutua@care.org.