Devastating North Darfur deluge leaves thousands destitute

Extreme rains followed by flash floods have destroyed thousands of homes and shelters in El Kuma in North Darfur, leaving more than 4,000 families destitute. The stricken area is now a large water pond. The floods have also cut vital road links in the state.

The Western Salvation Road linking El Fasher in North Darfur with Khartoum was cut-off three days ago, according to Ibrahim Hamid, the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner of North Darfur.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Hamid described the floods that hit the area as devastating with unprecedented impact on families, their homes, infrastructure and public institutions.

He said preliminary estimates indicate that 4,022 families were affected, ranging between total or partial collapse of houses which are now not habitable due to the seriousness of the damage.

Hamid announced that the state has taken a number of urgent temporary measures to support the affected families in El Kuma. These measures are to move the affected families to a high, dry, and sandy area, providing services in the area they have already been transferred to, while the engineering, technical, environmental awareness efforts are being carried out by the state government, the Zakat (Muslim alms) Chamber and UN agencies.

He appealed to civil society in El Fasher, the villages around El Kuma, and the rest of Darfur to move and play an effective role in providing aid to the victims.

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