Floods cause ‘catastrophic devastation’ in White Nile, Sudan

Severe floods affecting southern White Nile State, Sudan from September 4 to 6, 2021 affected 53 villages or more than 61 000 people, including 35 000 South Sudanese refugees in Alganaa area.

Local authorities said the floods caused 'catastrophic devastation' since the beginning of the week.

The mainstream of the Nile at Atbara has risen since yesterday, but at this time it's still almost 1 m (3.3 feet) below 2020 flood levels.¹

The humanitarian situation is described as 'catastrophic and beyond the capacity of the locality.'

The Executive Director of Al-Jabalain Locality Al-Walid Amir Bahar said that more than 53 villages and herder settlements in the SE part of Jouda are experiencing difficult situations due to torrential rains and floods which led to the collapse of buildings, damage to agricultural areas, and death of livestock.

Al-Walid pointed out that the locality mobilized all human and material resources to evacuate families surrounded by floods water.

Moreover, the Executive Dictator of the locality gave assurances that relief convoys from Zakat Chamber, UNHCR and SRCS are heading to the site of flooded areas to support the affected families.²

Sudan’s National Council for Civil Defense reported on August 24 that at least 43 people lost their lives while 3 838 homes were destroyed and another 8 514 damaged as a result of heavy rains and flooding affecting the country since the end of July 2021 when the rainy season started.³

References:

¹ Sudan – Floods Cause Devastation in White Nile State – FloodList

² Official: 15000 persons affected by floods at Gouda area – SUNA

³ 43 fatalities, at least 3 800 homes destroyed as heavy rains and floods hit Sudan – The Watchers

Featured image credit: SUNA