Ethiopia Landslide Crisis: Unpacking the Structural Vulnerabilities and Human Rights Implications
Original framing: “At least 50 people killed and 125 others reported missing after landslides sweep Ethiopia - AP News” — AP News (via Google News)
The original framing omits the historical context of environmental degradation in Ethiopia, including the impact of colonialism, land grabbing, and large-scale agriculture. It also neglects the perspectives of indigenous communities, who have long warned about the risks of environmental degradation and the importance of traditional knowledge in disaster risk reduction. Furthermore, the narrative fails to address the role of climate change in exacerbating the crisis and the need for climate justice.
Medium structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
This narrative was produced by AP News, a Western media outlet, for a global audience. The framing serves to highlight the humanitarian crisis, while obscuring the structural causes and power dynamics that contributed to the disaster. The narrative reinforces the dominant Western discourse on development and disaster response, neglecting the perspectives and experiences of local communities.
The landslides are part of a larger pattern of environmental degradation and disaster in Ethiopia, dating back to the colonial era. The country's history of land grabbing, large-scale agriculture, and environmental degradation has created a perfect storm of vulnerability to disasters.
The landslides in Ethiopia highlight the need for a systemic and holistic approach to disaster risk reduction and management.