Rains and floods hit Sudan

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Sunday morning that about 317,000 people (56,450 families) in 60 areas across 16 states in Sudan have been affected by heavy rains and flooding since the rains began in June.

According to the Sudan Flood Dashboard, the number of displaced persons is estimated at 118,000, as reported in the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM) Flood Update 02. The worst-affected states include North Darfur (76,095), followed by River Nile (58,825), Northern State (53,924) and West Darfur (28,230).

“The Sudan Flood Information Centre reports that heavy rains and flooding have killed 39 people, injured 112 people, destroyed 26,918 houses and damaged 31,236 houses. The actual figures are likely to be much higher,” the OCHA newsletter said. “The risk of disease outbreaks in the affected states is high due to flooding and subsequent standing water. Recently, the Sudanese Ministry of Health has confirmed a total of 556 cases of cholera in Kassala, Gedaref, Aji Jazira and Khartoum states, with 27 deaths.”

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the reopening of the Adre border crossing from Chad to Darfur is expected to enable humanitarians to provide emergency food and nutrition, medicine, shelter and other life-saving assistance to millions of people in urgent need, particularly in Darfur.

Floods hit eastern Sudan

Reports from the field indicate that more than 32,370 people have been affected by heavy rains and flooding in eastern Sudan since the start of the rainy season in June, including approximately 13,843 in Kassala State, 16,868 in Red Sea State, and 1,662 in Gedaref State, most of whom have fled recent hostilities in Sennar State.

“The rains damaged 190 tents accommodating approximately 950 people in the Kassala town cluster. In addition, 33 schools were damaged in Kassala town, Reifi Gharb Kassala, Halfa Aj Jadeedah and Refi Aroma areas, preventing more than 23,000 children from attending school,” the update said. “In Red Sea State, partners reported that the rains damaged tents, latrines and drainage systems, and caused food losses. The actual number of people affected is believed to be higher, and authorities and humanitarian partners are continuing to assess the impact of heavy rains and flooding on host communities, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).”

Flooding in the Nile and northern states

Flooding in the Nile and northern states has caused extensive damage, displaced thousands of people and placed the health, water, sanitation and housing sectors under severe demand. The floods have also led to widespread infestations of scorpions and snakes, posing further risks to communities due to shortages of venom serum. The floods have also destroyed stocks of annual crops, affecting key livelihoods such as agriculture, animal husbandry and daily wage labour. In addition, cyanide brought in by the floods from nearby mining areas has endangered human health, animals and the environment.

“In River Nile State, sanitation and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions along the Nile River are dire, with contaminated water sources, destroyed latrines and severe shortages of scorpion venom,” OCHA reported. “According to partners, floods damaged 150 public buildings and destroyed more than 32,200 latrines. The Sudan Flood Dashboard reports that 11,381 houses were destroyed and 384 damaged. Rural areas were worst affected, with entire villages submerged or inaccessible.”

“Agricultural damage and livestock losses remain unclear, while mining and water contamination further complicate the situation. There is an urgent need for tents, non-food items (NFI), medical waste management, emergency medicines and awareness campaigns, with some areas only accessible by boat,” the report added.

In the Northern State, flooding reportedly flushed scorpions into homes. According to partners, there have been deaths from scorpion stings due to a severe shortage of venom in the state. According to the Sudan Flood Dashboard, there has been extensive damage to private and public infrastructure, including 3,255 homes destroyed and 7,504 damaged. In addition to damaging government and public facilities, flooding has disrupted transportation, cutting off multiple roads between Dongola and Halfa, including Darg Al Mahas, Akasha, and Arbil. Despite these challenges, emergency response authorities are actively working to address losses, prevent further damage, and respond to potential disease outbreaks in coordination with local authorities, while responding to the impact of severe cyclonic storms in the Dhaba region.

Humanitarian response

According to OCHA, humanitarian partners are working with authorities to respond to the urgent needs of people affected by the floods across the country. Humanitarians are providing shelter, food, non-food items (NFI), water, sanitation and hygiene support (WASH), and health and nutrition services.