Cold wave hits northern Sudan, classes suspended

Lower classes in basic schools in northern Sudan are suspended for two days because of the strong cold wave.

The director of the education administration in Abu Hamed locality in River Nile State, Mohamed Hassan Babikir, announced the suspension on Wednesday. It includes all localities, where the cold is severe and temperature dropped to about 8 degrees Celsius.

Babikir said that only the lower classes are temporarily suspended so that these students do not suffer from the cold wave in school. He said that the lower classes have completed their curriculum courses.

A strong cold wave hit Sudan in the same period last year. Children and livestock in particular were unable to withstand the cold, as a number of them reportedly died in camps for displaced people in Darfur. The Sudanese Weather Forecast Authority warned the population in camps to take precautions. Schools throughout Sudan applied a special schedule in order for children to better deal with the cold wave, and the Northern Sudanese authorities closed all schools in the region.