Sudan floods claim 11 lives and trigger search for missing

Eleven people were killed and 60 others were injured on Tuesday when heavy rains and floods swept through Abu Hamad in northern Sudan, the official Sudanese news agency, SUNA, has reported.

“The rains also hit Abu Hamad’s neighbouring villages, causing house collapses. Rescue teams are still searching for the missing and those trapped under the rubble,” the agency added. “It is currently impossible to fully assess the damage due to the disruption of communication between areas caused by the rain and floods.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said that the heavy rains and floods on Monday and Tuesday throughout Abu Hamad locality on the River Nile have displaced 86 families. The displaced are seeking shelter with host communities within the same area. The IOM added that field teams reported the total destruction of 86 houses and partial damage to 20 homes, with reports of fatalities and injuries among civilians, reported Anadolu.

On Monday, the Sudanese Ministry of Health announced that 32 people have been killed and 107 others injured due to floods and rains in seven states across the country since June. Rains in Sudan generally fall from the beginning of June until October.

This year’s flood damage coincides with ongoing suffering due to the conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces which has been raging since mid-April last year. The conflict has resulted in approximately 15,000 deaths and around 10 million displaced persons and refugees, according to the UN.

There have been increasing calls from the UN and other international organisations to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, which could push millions into famine and starvation due to food shortages caused by the fighting that has spread to 12 states.

READ: UN appeals for Security Council help to combat famine in Sudan