Destruction, suffering in eastern Sudan floods

Flash floods continue to wreak havoc across eastern Sudan, and rising waters have isolated some communities.

In El Gedaref state, El Hawata locality has been isolated since floods and rains washed away the landfill road which connects it with other the localities.

A resident told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday that the road is completely flooded. He added that flies and mosquitoes have now created an outbreak of diarrhoea among children and the elderly.

Mohamed Mahmoud Beatie, MP for west Hameshkoreib constituency said there are about 800 families in Hameshkoreib that do not have daily access to food, and more than 1,200 other families receive food and drink in a Koran. More than 1,800 head of cattle have been lost.

Beatie said rain and floods that swept through the area disconnected Hameshkoreib – Kassala for a distance of more than a kilometre. The floods caused the death of seven people, seven more are missing, more than 800 houses have been destroyed, and 750 more partially demolished.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports in its latest Humanitarian Bulletin, that an estimated 42,850 people have been affected so far, according to the Government of Sudan, SRCS and partners, and efforts are ongoing to verify the number of people affected and map their needs and the response.