After centuries of silence, Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano finally erupted — but now, the fiery spectacle is subsiding. Yet the impact of its unexpected awakening continues to ripple across communities, skies, and borders. And here’s the part most people didn’t expect: this was the first eruption in more than 10,000 years.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia has calmed down after a dramatic eruption that swept through villages, blanketed the landscape in ash, and forced airlines to ground dozens of international flights. Days after the event, the volcano’s activity weakened on Tuesday, offering brief relief to residents and travelers alike.
In the Afdera district of Ethiopia’s Afar region, the scene has been compared to a ghost village. Thick layers of gray ash coated rooftops, fields, and water sources. Locals reported persistent coughing and eye irritation, while livestock — a vital source of livelihood in this remote desert region — struggled to find clean water or edible grass. Officials confirmed that even basic survival had become a serious challenge.
The fallout reached skies thousands of kilometers away. Airlines quickly canceled numerous flights due to dense ash plumes drifting through high-altitude flight paths. The Ethiopian meteorological authorities predicted that air quality would gradually improve as the day went on.
Air India announced the cancellation of 11 flights — most of them international — on Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure. The airline explained that it was following aviation safety directives requiring inspections of any aircraft that may have crossed contaminated air corridors. Meanwhile, Akasa Air also suspended flights to several Middle Eastern cities, including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi, citing safety risks posed by residual ash clouds.
The situation had ripple effects across India’s aviation network. At New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, at least seven international flights were canceled and more than a dozen delayed, according to airport officials. Disruptions were widespread as aviation authorities monitored ash movements closely.
In Ethiopia, emergency response teams scrambled to deliver medical help to affected populations. Abedella Mussa, the head of health services in Afdera district, confirmed that mobile medical units were deployed from across the Afar region. “Two teams have been sent to remote areas like Fia and Nemma-Gubi to assist residents suffering from respiratory problems,” he said, emphasizing the urgency of ongoing medical outreach.
Another local official, Nuur Mussa, responsible for livestock management, described the dire situation facing herds. “Many animals in the impacted kebeles are struggling because both the grass and water are covered in volcanic dust,” he said. With livestock forming the backbone of local economies, this could spell prolonged hardship for residents even after the ash clears.
Geologist Atalay Ayele from Addis Ababa University explained that Ethiopia’s geography makes it particularly prone to such natural events. “Ethiopia sits atop an active rift system, where the Earth’s crust is continually splitting apart. That’s why we often see volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in this region,” he explained. “Hayli Gubbi’s current eruption is the first recorded in the last 10,000 years. It should taper off soon — until the next phase of activity begins.”
The ash cloud didn’t stay confined to Ethiopia. According to the India Meteorological Department, high-altitude winds carried the volcanic plume across the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula, sweeping over Yemen and Oman before spreading across the Arabian Sea toward western and northern India. By late Tuesday, the cloud was expected to drift further east toward China, bringing some closure to the aviation chaos.
But here’s a controversial question: should greater international monitoring be in place for dormant volcanoes — especially in active rift zones like Ethiopia’s? After all, when a volcano silent for millennia suddenly awakens, the world rarely sees it coming. What do you think — is this a wake-up call for global preparedness or just another reminder of nature’s unpredictability?
