The United Nations has said about 125,000 refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Sudan have been affected by flash floods caused by heavy rains.
In Sudan, the raining season starts in early July and continues into October.
UN Refugee Agency spokesperson, Shabia Mantoo, disclosed this on Tuesday during a news conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
“An estimated 125,000 refugees and IDPs have been affected in total, particularly in East Sudan, White Nile, Darfur and Khartoum, many in urgent need of shelter and other emergency assistance.
The rains have been particularly heavy in North Darfur, leaving an estimated 35,000 IDPs, locals and refugees in need of help. 15 people have died and a further 23 have gone missing,’’ Mantoo said.
The official noted substantial damage to the country’s infrastructure and transportation, which makes the delivery of humanitarian aid more challenging.
In mid-July, Sudan began experiencing an unusual level of heavy rains, which caused an outflow of the Blue Nile River.
This resulted in more than 37,000 homes destroyed and nearly 90 people killed, according to the UN.
Flooding is not uncommon in Sudan, which suffers from poor infrastructure and lacks functional sewer systems and storm drains. In 2019, torrential rain and subsequent floods killed 62 people in the country.
