Sudan: War-Weary Sudanese Face New Hardships As Floods Strike

Several thousand people, mostly internally displaced persons (IDPs), have been affected as heavy rains and floods inundated parts of Kassala province in eastern Sudan, inflicting further misery on communities already vulnerable due to ongoing conflict, UN agencies have reported.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), five gathering sites and reception centres in the provincial capital Kassala town and Gharb Kassala are among those impacted.

More than 10,000 IDPs who fled fighting in neighbouring Sennar state have been affected.

Flooding has also been reported in Aj Jazirah, East Darfur and North Kordofan provinces, affecting about 280 households.

Since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces in April last year, thousands of civilians have been killed, and more than 10 million have been driven from their homes, including about 2.1 million who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

The conflict has decimated livelihoods and destroyed crops, raising grave concerns about a looming famine.

Refugee camps affected

In Shagarab, approximately 80 kilometres south of Kassala town, around 400 shelters in refugee camps have been damaged. Sites hosting refugees in Wad Sherifye on the outskirts of Kassala town have also been affected.

With heavy rains forecasted over the coming days, there are concerns that the Gash River could flood further into Kassala town.

Floodwaters have submerged roads and damaged water and sanitation infrastructure, forcing many IDPs to live in the open along roadsides without access to food, drinking water, or sanitation. There are rising fears of outbreaks of deadly water-borne diseases.

UN teams and humanitarian partners are assessing the support needed to relocate those affected and are coordinating responses in key sectors. Priority needs identified include shelter, food, non-food items, and safe water and sanitation.

Preparations in South Sudan

In neighbouring South Sudan, UN and relief partners are supporting the Government’s efforts to prepare for what is expected to be the worst flooding in about 60 years.

“For the UN’s part, we aim to assist some 2.4 million out of the 3.3 million people projected to be impacted by the floods from September onward,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters on Monday.

“The plan is to provide health and nutrition services, as well as shelter, and food assistance to those affected,” he added.

He also highlighted the need for additional resources in South Sudan, including to meet the needs of the new arrivals fleeing the conflict in Sudan. The $1.8 billion humanitarian response plan for the country is only about 31 per cent funded at about $552 million.

South Sudan is hosting more than 770,000 refugees who fled Sudan since April last year, including South Sudanese returnees.