The official Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) reported on Tuesday that the death toll from the devastating floods in Sudan has risen to 132, marking the latest tragedy for the Northeast African nation already grappling with a civil war.
The government committee stated that the sudden floods, caused by heavy rains and the collapse of a dam, swept through villages and destroyed over 12,000 homes across 10 states, affecting more than 30,000 families.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), many victims were reported in Sudan’s Red Sea state in the northwest, where at least 30 people died following the collapse of the Arbaat Dam in Port Sudan on Sunday.
OCHA warned that the death toll could rise significantly as many are still missing and displaced by the floods. Some residents were forced to flee to the mountains in search of safety, while others have been evacuated.
Communication network disruptions due to damage have made it difficult to gather more accurate information about the situation, OCHA added. It highlighted that the damaged dam, which serves as the primary source of fresh water for Port Sudan, the country’s fifth-largest city, could impact water supplies and exacerbate the humanitarian situation in the Red Sea state.
The recent floods are worsening the devastating effects of earlier floods that have displaced more than 100,000 people since June. Scientists say that climate crisis is making extreme weather conditions more frequent and severe. Sudan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, faces heavy rains and deadly floods, as well as severe droughts.
More than 10 million people have already been displaced due to the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has claimed at least 18,000 lives. Last month, OCHA reported that over half of the country’s population is also facing severe hunger.
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