The United Nations’ humanitarian office reports that at least 30 people died after a dam collapsed in Northeast Sudan.
The war-ravaged country has been grappling with an intense rainy season since July, with torrential flooding mainly in the northern and eastern parts.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cited a government delegation as saying Monday that thirty fatalities have been confirmed after the collapse of the Arbaat Dam in Sudan’s Red Sea state.
“However, the number of casualties could be much higher,” it said, adding that “scores of people are reportedly missing or displaced”.
The Arbaat Dam is situated approximately 38 kilometres (24 miles) northwest of Port Sudan, which has become the de facto seat of government since authorities were displaced from the capital, Khartoum, due to the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“Up to 50,000 people living in areas to the west of the Dam have been severely affected,” OCHA said.
“About 70 villages around Arbaat Dam have reportedly been affected by the flash flooding of which 20 villages have been destroyed,” it added.
Recall that on Monday, 132 people died after intense rainfall and flooding ravaged ten states, with the heaviest flooding recorded in Northern and River Nile states.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the army, led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Both factions have faced allegations of committing atrocities and violations, including obstructing the delivery of essential aid in a country devastated by war and famine.
The nation’s already fragile infrastructure has been shattered, with both sides accused of attacking civilian facilities and ongoing fighting hindering repairs and maintenance.