The Rainy Season

Our adoption agency sends us a weekly update about Ethiopia and the adoption process. I haven't ever posted their weekly update to our blog, but I thought this week was one you would all be interested. I have discussed the rainy season with many of you, and thought you would like to read more. I did edit the weekly update a little, but most of it is pure copy and paste.

Ethiopia’s Rainy Season
There are three seasons in Ethiopia. From September to February is the long dry season known as the bega; this is followed by a short rainy season, the belg, in March and April. May is a hot and dry month preceding the long rainy season, kremt, in June, July, and August. Total annual precipitation varies from 20 to 40 inches (500 to 1,000 mm).
Source: Britannica Online 

During the rainy season, many roads are impassable until dryer weather. This makes it difficult for Ethiopian court staff to get to the court, and more difficult in general to travel around Ethiopia. In the capital of Addis Ababa many side streets aren’t paved and get very muddy and problematic to travel on. This is the case to a greater degree outside the city of Addis.

With the rainy season approaching in Ethiopia, we expect the courts to close as they typically do each year. The court is scheduled to close from August 6th until October.  We do not know yet the exact date court will open again. It is generally a date early in October.

During closure, no court dates will be held or issued. Please keep in mind that the court closure does not affect the Embassy process.  The Embassy remains open during court closure and families are still able to travel for their Embassy appointment. It is also the case that referrals are still issued during court closure.  Families who receive referrals during the closure will receive court dates when the court opens again in October.


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