(AFP) ADDIS ABABA — Flash floods sparked by heavy rainfall have displaced nearly 9,000 people and killed a five-year old boy in central Ethiopia, an official told AFP Wednesday.

Downpours since early August swelled several rivers in the hills of Oromiya zone in Amhara state, sending floodwaters into homes in three lowland districts.

“A total of 8,864 people have been displaced by the floods. A five-year-old boy was also killed in the area,” said Jibril Osman, a disaster prevention official.

“It’s been raining above normal in the area for more than a month. A vast majority of those were affected a week ago.”

Osman said most victims had been provided with shelter in tents and schools, while others had gone to stay with relatives in unaffected areas.

Ethiopia, with a population of over 80 million, is regularly hit by floods. According to the World Food Programme, more than 183,000 people were affected by flooding in 2007, while the previous year more than 600 people died.

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