At Least 100 People Die in Sudan Floods, Thousands Flee Homes

At least 100 people are reportedly dead and thousands displaced from their homes, after torrential rains triggered massive floods in Eastern Sudan, according to Al Jazeera.

Many parts of Sudan have been experiencing heavy downpour over the last two weeks, and major rivers, including River Kassala in Eastern Sudan, have broken their banks, causing flash floods, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) has reported.

“Over 28,000 houses have been destroyed, with 2,950 latrines ruined,”the SRCS reported on Saturday.

Thousands of villagers, mostly in the eastern part of the country, have been forced to seek shelter on the hilltops, where they are now living in makeshift grass huts.

Those affected are in urgent need of shelter, food, household items, health services, water, and sanitation facilities.

The SRCS says it has mobilized more than 1,300 volunteers to assist in evacuating flood victims, offer first aid services, and carry out assessments in the affected areas.

“We had no time. We simply fled, taking our children when our village was flooded in the night two weeks ago. We are eating just one meal a day. Children are falling sick, and doctors are miles away,” the chief of Kassala village, Taha Mahmoud, told AFP.

Rare Occurrence

In Northern Sudan, flash floods are a rare occurrence as the area is generally dry throughout the year. Farmers in the area have always depended on the River Nile for water to irrigate their farms.

“To us, rain is alien and we can go for years before receiving any,” Mustarifa Mohammed, a resident of the area told SRCS.

Mohammed also revealed that they first started to notice underground water seeping into their houses through the floors, way before the flash floods.

“Since we had not experienced rain for years, we were caught unaware. The water flow was very strong and with our house having been weakened by the underground water,” she added.

However, this is not the first time that Sudan is experiencing flash floods. In August 2013, many Sudanese states were engulfed in massive floods, which left at least 45 people dead and thousands displaced.

Sudanese authorities have warned that the ongoing torrential rain might continue and water levels from the River Nile (Blue Nile) are expected to rise, which could affect many parts of Khartoum.