“Hundreds of thousands affected by Sudan rains”

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#Sudan, August 28, 2022 – Nearly ninety people have died, and more than 150 thousand people have been displaced after rainstorms destroyed thousands of houses in Sudan last week.  By August 23, more than 12,500 houses had been leveled and floodwater had damaged another 21,400.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says, rivers have overflown their banks and completely surrounded nine villages that are now unable to receive aid.

More than 200 health facilities are damaged, thousands of water sources are contaminated, and thousands of latrines have been damaged or washed away completely creating a health hazard for waterborne diseases.

The UN and other partners are rushing to provide Cholera kits in case of an outbreak. Additionally, mosquito bed nets and pesticides are being distributed to combat vector-borne diseases, but they simply do not have enough.  More than 70 percent of areas that need them do not have access.

Earlier this year, the UN warned that Sudan was one of the countries worst hit by food insecurity caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and persistent drought in other parts of Africa.  The floods have exacerbated that after destroying crops and livestock and cutting off areas from vehicular traffic.

Over $6 Million has been donated by the United Arab Emirates, and the UN is pushing supplies into the country, but they warn that they are quickly running out.