Heat in Djibouti kills at least three Ethiopian truck drivers, one repairman

 

At least three Ethiopian truck drivers and one repairman have died in the past two weeks, and two additional drivers have been hospitalized, all due to the extreme temperatures in Djibouti.

 

The Ethiopian Heavy Truck Drivers Association's general manager, Solomon Zewdu, told Addis Standard that automobile owners are sending drivers to Djibouti without any cargo in an attempt to save money by not having their vehicles sit idle in Ethiopia.

In order to keep their jobs, Solomon said, “the drivers are forced to travel to Djibouti and remain there without their freight." "This practice puts the drivers and their assistants at risk of serious, possibly fatal heat-related injuries by exposing them to Djibouti's extreme temperatures."

 

Truck driver Yosef Getahun acknowledged that they frequently wait more than five days for a job assignment, during which time they face potentially fatal situations and serious health problems brought on by the intense heat.

 

Yosef highlighted, "Temperatures can rise up to 50 degrees Celsius." "As a result, two drivers passed away in May 2024, one of whom was discovered dead while sleeping."

 

Yosef went on to say that the Degab Sheraton region and Djibouti itself experience the coldest weather.

 

He elaborated that the wait times for previously arrived vehicles to depart, allowing them to proceed in turn, have demonstrably contributed to the tragic fatalities.

 

Solomon elaborated on the additional hardships faced by drivers while stranded in Djibouti.

 

“Beyond the life-threatening conditions, they are burdened with substantial expenses for parking and other associated fees,” he said. “In contrast, once reaching Djibouti, vehicle owners are no longer responsible for such costs.”

 

Solomon claims that the drivers, on the other hand, pay exorbitant tolls, parking fees, and other incidental costs.

 

Asserting that sending drivers to the port in Djibouti hurts Ethiopia's economy is the association's general manager. Solomon emphasized that every driver spends more than 2,000 birr every day, which adds up to more than 20,000 birr for a ten-day layover.

 

He underlined that while these costs seriously harm Ethiopia's economy, they are beneficial to Djibouti's.

 

Solomon pleaded with car owners to realize how serious this problem is and to hold off on sending drivers out too soon.

 

He stressed that “the practice of compelling drivers to undertake trips to Djibouti and remain there idly until their loading time arrives incurs substantial economic and human losses.”