Sudan Under 3-Month State of Emergency After Floods Left 99 Dead, Over 100,000 Homes Damaged

A state of emergency has been declared in Sudan by the country's Security & Defence Council due to flooding from heavy seasonal rains that left 99 people dead and over 100,000 homes damaged.

A Major Disaster in Sudan 

SUNA, the Sudanese state news agency, reported that the country is currently under a state of emergency for three months after experiencing massive record flooding, which has killed 99 people so far.

The Security & Defence Council also currently designated the country as a natural disaster zone, as reported last Saturday by SUNA.

(Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Children are seen in the waters of the Blue Nile floods within the Al-Ikmayr area of Omdurman in Khartoum, Sudan August 27, 2020. 

According to Lena el-Sheikh Mahjoub, minister of labor and social development of Sudan, in addition to those who died, there were also over 500,000 people who were severely affected by the flooding. It also injured 46 people and damaged over 100,000 residential properties, causing a total or partial collapse of these homes.

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Record-Breaking Rains and Floods

Most of the floodwaters came from the heavy seasonal rains, which mainly came from Sudan's neighbor Ethiopia, causing the River Nile water level to elevate to almost 17.5 meters (or roughly 57 feet) by late August. Authorities say it is a record-breaking level of water at least within the past 100 years.

The rains and floods this year recorded high as well, which surpassed the records measured during the years 1946 as well as 1988. According to Lena el-Sheikh Mahjoub, there are expectations of a continued rise in levels, according to indications. 

Worst-Hit Places

The flooded areas which were hardest hit include the following states: River Nile, Blue Nile, and Khartoum. According to UN reports, there were also damages in the regions of West Kordofan, Gedaref, South Darfur, and Gezira.

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UN's Response

The UN is in these areas providing support to the response of the country to the disaster. It provided household supplies, emergency shelter, sanitation, hygiene assistance, water, food, vector control, and health services.

According to the UN, it quickly responded with the provision of needed supplies for the needs of a quarter of a million Sudanese ready in position even before the start of the rains. However, it said its supplies were rapidly depleted so that it is now making a call for more support from other nations.

Supreme Committee

As reported by SUNA, the Security & Defense Council also formed a "supreme committee" to be headed by the Labor & Social Development ministry for dealing with the damages and ramifications caused by floods this autumn of 2020.

The rainy season in the country starts in June and ends in October. Within this time, Sudan experiences its yearly torrential rains and floods.

The supreme committee issued a warning last Friday that Sudan can still have more rains, citing the record-breaking water level of the Blue Nile, which measured at 17.58 meters.

The government and the UN are expected to rise to the challenge to the current state of emergency in Sudan and its massive flooding from the heavy seasonal rains, and it is hoped that there will be no additional deaths or homes damaged.

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