Administrative Zone 3 (Afar)
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Afar Zone 3 Gabi Rasu |
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|---|---|
| Zone | |
 Zone 3 location in Ethiopia |
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| Country | Ethiopia |
| Region | Afar Region |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6,594.18 km2 (2,546.03 sq mi) |
| Population (2012 est.) | |
| • Total | 234,427 |
| • Density | 36/km2 (92/sq mi) |
Administrative Zone 3 (since May 2006 known as Gabi Rasu) is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the southwest by the Amhara Region, on the west by the Administrative Zone 5, on the north by Administrative Zone 1, and on the east by the Somali Region.
This Zone covers most of the territory of the former Gobaad sultanate. Towns include Awash and Gewane. Rivers include the Awash and Germama.
The Awash River flows through the south and western parts of this Zone, periodically flooding during the June-to-September rainy season. During 1996, the river flooded parts of Bure Mudaytu and Gewane woredas, but a UNDP team dispatched to survey the area failed to find significant damage. However, in August 1999, a planned release of waters from the Koka Reservoir resulted in flooding by the Awash—although an investigation afterwards showed the flooding was caused by dike failures and silting of the Awash, especially around Melka Were. Approximately 5,000 hectares (19 sq mi) of cropland in the Zone, and 12 rural kebeles in Amibara and 3 rural kebeles in Dulecha woredas were affected. The Awash flooded again 16 August 2006, displacing 15,000 people and damaging 400 hectares (1.5 sq mi) planted in cotton, corn, onions and sesame.
In June 2002, the Afar and the Issa Somali, as well as the Afar and the Ittu Oromo, have engaged in armed clashes in Gewane, Amibara and Awash Fentale woredas over grazing resources diminished due to a drought at that time. As a result, the traditional division of work was ignored: women were no longer tending livestock and the men guarded their herds with weapons. Pastoral groups from this Zone concentrated in the Awash lowlands, which forced pastoral groups from Zone 5 to move west and compete with the Argobba.
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