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This report by Sudan Tribune is part of the Sudan Media Forum’s collaborative newsroom initiative.
25 August 2027 (Abu Hamad, Northern State) – Two weeks after record rains and flooding hit northern Sudan, tens of thousands of residents remain homeless with no assistance from the federal government or humanitarian organizations. The situation is particularly bad in Abu Hamad, where an estimated 65,000 people have been affected and only 210 tents are available.
“The war drove us out of Khartoum, and now the floods have driven us out of our shelter in Abu Hamad,” said Mohassen Khadr, a 60-year-old woman from Omdurman who lost her home in the floods.
Residents of Sudan’s northernmost Nile and northern states have been accustomed to the destructive power of Nile floods in the past, but the recent rainfall is unprecedented. On the evening of August 5, the city of Abu Hamad and its surrounding islands, located about 540 kilometers north of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, received record rainfall. The rainfall reached 142 mm, accompanied by heavy rains, which for the first time caused major damage to the railway line built about 120 years ago and the city’s old market.
Neighborhoods in the city, especially Al-Qoz, suffered severe damage. The disaster was particularly severe on Mukallal Island, especially the village of Abu Sidir, which was completely washed away by floods, killing three people.
“The flooding we are experiencing is unprecedented in the region,” said one resident of Abusidil. “An ancient castle from the AD era near the banks of the Nile was washed away by the floods, which has never happened before.”
Villagers recounted their harrowing experiences on the night the flood hit, as they clung to trees fearing being swept into the river as their mud-brick houses could not withstand the floodwaters.
The plight of the affected people in the Abu Hamad region stems mainly from the lack of aid. Although the Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, visited the area and inspected the damage, no tents arrived to provide shelter for the displaced families.
“The rains and flooding have affected around 13,000 families,” said Youssif Habib, director of social welfare in the Abu Hamad region. “There are only 210 tents in the area.”
The official added that due to a severe shortage of tents, authorities chose not to distribute them and instead wait for aid to arrive to provide shelter.
He noted that people’s efforts had made up for the food shortage, but what was needed now were tents, especially as continued rains were expected.
According to local authorities in Abu Hamad, rains and floods have killed 35 people in the area.
Residents of Abu Hamad city and the affected islands are increasingly concerned about the environmental and health impacts of rains and flooding due to the spread of mining activities and the slow progress of vector spraying and water extraction operations.
Notably, the Abu Hamad region benefits from fee revenues levied on extensive mining activities in the region, as it hosts Sudan’s largest mining market with approximately one million people engaged in mining and related activities.
Floods and heavy rains displace thousands
Under cover of night on August 10, the town of Tankasi was inundated by a devastating flood. Residents awoke to find waters pouring down from the sky and surging up from the earth like a biblical torrent.
The floods claimed nine lives, most of them children, including four from the same family. Mahjoub Mohammed Sid Ahmed, executive director of the Merowe region, confirmed that more than 700 houses were destroyed and hundreds were partially damaged.
“We need to buy tents first, then we can start building houses,” pleaded Haji Suleiman, a 70-year-old resident whose home was destroyed in both the 1988 Nile flood and the recent disaster. The area is facing a severe shortage of tents, shelter materials and antivenom to fight scorpions and snakes.
The Uttar Pradesh Health Department reported heavy casualties: 31 people died, 179 were injured, and 155 were stung by scorpions across the state. More than 2,350 houses and 31 government facilities were completely destroyed, and 6,500 families were severely affected.
Beyond the Northern States
The scope of the disaster extends far beyond Tankasi. In West Darfur, flooding destroyed 7,000 homes and the state capital of El Geneina was declared a disaster area. Heavy rains caused unprecedented flooding in Wadi Qaja, resulting in the collapse of the Morni Bridge, a key bridge linking El Geneina to Zalingei. There were reports of travelers drowning while trying to cross the flooded valley.
In North Darfur, heavy rains damaged a camp for displaced persons in El Fasher. In eastern Sudan, three people died in Red Sea State due to heavy rains and winds. Flooding inundated three camps for displaced persons in Kassala State, also killing two people.
The rains and floods have exacerbated the suffering of the Sudanese people, who were already suffering from fighting and food shortages. The Minister of the Interior announced that Sudan had lost 198,000 acres of farmland and a large number of livestock.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned in July that rainfall would be above average, exacerbating the plight of millions of displaced people.
Sudan faces the twin crises of conflict and natural disasters, testing the resilience of its people to the limit. The urgent need for humanitarian assistance and long-term solutions to the impacts of war and climate change is greater than ever.
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