Rains, river floods wreak havoc in Darfur and eastern Sudan

The heavy rains and flooding of rivers throughout Sudan have caused more damage to houses, residents reported from North Darfur, Red Sea state, and Kassala.

Rainfall in Wada’ah in Kalamindo locality, North Darfur, caused the collapse of dozens of homes and a damaged of number of schools and shops in the market. Locality commissioner Abu Bakr Adam Ismael said that “the rain caused total and partial damage to more than 100 houses”.

He pointed out that Wada’ah area is a natural extension of the Golo valley, which passes through the western side of El Fasher. This valley witnessed a huge flood this year, while large overflows of water have not occurred here in the last twenty years.

The rainfall exceeded one hundred and fifty millimetres in some places in the area this week. Public utilities and houses in El Fasher and Mellit suffered damage.

Red Sea river floods

A flash flood of the Khor Baraka, which runs in Marafit and south of Tokar in Red Sea state, caused the collapse of a number of houses and damaged the sorghum stock of people.

Residents told Radio Dabanga that the Khor Baraka spilled over because of the rain water and flooded Marafit “from all directions, for two days straight”. “500 inhabitants of the area are now living in tragic conditions because of their total isolation from the outside world, and the difficulty to get food,” a resident explained.

The Member of Parliament who represents Ageeg in the Legislative Council, Osman Mohamed Abdallah, appealed to the government and relief organisations to intervene quickly to address the situation.

Residents reject moving

In eastern Kassala state, residents of areas affected by heavy rainfall have announced their categorical rejection of the state government’s plans to move them to safety in other areas.

A listener in the area reported to Radio Dabanga that the people have been living in these areas for decades. “We hold the government responsible for the current losses and damage to infrastructure.

“The losses are the result of bad road construction without regard to water sewage, the installation of dirt barriers around the town on the pretext of ‘combating smuggling’, and also the government’s non-readiness to prepare for the rainy season.”

The listener said that residents have called on the state government to expedite the provision of shelter materials, and pointed out that hundreds of families have not had a roof over their heads since the floods have swept through the town.

Last week, at least two people, a boy and a girl, died and others sustained injuries in Kassala due to torrential rains. A large number of houses collapsed. Residents of Kassala town told Radio Dabanga that the most affected districts are West Kassala and El Khatmiya, where two children were reported to have drowned.