Torrential rains kill three, destroy more than 9,000 homes in Darfur

Three residents of the Kass camps in South Darfur died, and eight others went missing during heavy downpours on Sunday. More than 6,000 homes collapsed in Ardeba, El Beitari, Dobo, and El Safna camps. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, the coordinator of the Kass camps reported that three displaced were killed, eight others went missing, and a number of livestock died, as a result of extremely heavy rainfall and the ensuing floods on Sunday evening. “Fatima Ali Gantour (55), Fatima Ismail Ahmed (47), and Khadija Ismail Ahmed (45) died. Among the eight people who disappeared are four children.” The torrential rains swept away 6,380 homes in Ardeba, El Batari, Dubo, El Safna camps. In Abu Zahra and El Kifah districts in the eastern part of Kass town, more than 2,000 houses broke down entirely, the coordinator said. “The displaced lost all their possessions, and left to other camps in the locality that are less flooded.” The coordinator called upon relief organisations to act urgently, and provide the displaced in Kass locality with emergency assistance. Mosquitoes In Zamzam camp in North Darfur, heavy rains destroyed about 1,000 shelters, and damaged 1,700 homes. “More than 2,000 toilets were flooded”, a resident of Zamzam camp told Radio Dabanga. “There are now 15 large pools of water in the camp, which led to a massive proliferation of mosquitoes and flies.” The resident added that hundreds of families are now living in the open without food or cover, amid the absence of organisations and government agencies in North Darfur. He called on the state’s Ministry of Health and the local authorities to “speed up their aid and help the affected by providing them with clean drinking water, food, and tents, and drain the pools and toilets. File photo Related: More than 2,000 homes washed away by rains in Darfur (31 August 2014)