UAE sends vital aid to Ethiopia in response to deadly landslides

The natural disaster has claimed hundreds of lives

People search for survivors after a landslide in the Gofa district of southern Ethiopia. AFP

The UAE on Saturday sent a plane loaded with crucial aid to southern Ethiopia in the wake of devastating landslides which have killed more than 250 people.

The landslides, which occured on Sunday and Monday, were triggered by heavy rainfall in a mountainous area of the Gofa zone.

They are reported to be the deadliest ever recorded in the African country.

The death toll stood at 257 as of Friday, with experts fearing this number could double.

Residents and volunteers have been carrying out frantic searches for survivors, digging through mud in the hope of rescuing people trapped underneath.

The UAE aid operation was launched on the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed, state news agency Wam reported.

Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, underlined the UAE's commitment to delivering support to countries hit by crises and disasters.

The Gofa area is remote and mountainous and about 450km from the capital Addis Ababa.

The area experienced strong seasonal rains that caused flooding and displacement between April and early May, according to the UN's humanitarian response agency OCHA.