Deadly Floods in War-torn Sudan Displace Thousands

Sudanese authorities have made an "urgent call" to the international community for help - AFP
Sudanese authorities have made an "urgent call" to the international community for help - AFP
TT

Deadly Floods in War-torn Sudan Displace Thousands

Sudanese authorities have made an "urgent call" to the international community for help - AFP
Sudanese authorities have made an "urgent call" to the international community for help - AFP

Amna Hussein sat grieving in a disaster relief tent in eastern Sudan, where she fled with her children after deadly floods displaced thousands in a country already reeling from war.

"My father died in the floods," Hussein said in Kassala, a state on the border with Eritrea, AFP reported.

Sudan has experienced an intense rainy season since last month, with intermittent torrential flooding mainly in the country's north and east.

Authorities have not released an updated death toll, but 34 people have died in the northern town of Abu Hamad alone, according to the Sudanese Red Crescent.

"All our houses have collapsed. Mine has been totally destroyed. We're sitting in the street with nowhere to go," flood victim Umm Ayman Zakarya Adam told AFP in Abu Hamad.

Authorities in Kassala on Friday issued an "urgent call" to the international community, asking for "immediate assistance to rescue victims" of the flooding.

They said that in Kassala "thousands of people have been affected by the floods which have destroyed many homes."

Every year between May and October peak flow on the Nile is accompanied by torrential rains, destroying homes, wrecking infrastructure and claiming lives, both directly and through water-borne diseases.

The impact is expected to be worse this year after nearly 16 months of fighting that has displaced millions of people into flood zones.

In Wadi Halfa, in the north of the country, near the Egyptian border, "around 3,000 homes and health facilities were severely damaged," according to local authorities.

"I'm speaking to you from a hilltop where my family and dozens of others took shelter last night after we were completely surrounded by rising waters," said Mohammed Othman, a resident of Wadi Halfa, speaking to AFP by phone.

More than 73,000 Sudanese have been affected by the floods, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Among those, over 21,000 have been displaced and 14,300 had their homes destroyed.

In Kassala, despite health authorities spraying insecticide at the displacement camps, an AFP journalist reported that swarms of flies were making living conditions even more difficult for the displaced.

A doctor in Kassala, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported a rise in cases of diarrhoea, particularly among children.

Medical worker have said this may indicate a rise in cholera, which health authorities have struggled to control with the war decimating Sudan's healthcare system.

Since April of last year, a war between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former deputy General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people both within and outside of Sudan.

Both sides are accused of war crimes, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and blocking of aid, worsening the country's already stark humanitarian crisis.

According to the UN, more than 260,000 people have been displaced to Kassala state by the war.

Omar Babiker and his family took refuge in Kassala after the RSF arrived on their doorstep in Sudan's central Al-Jazira state.

The floods forced Babiker to move again to a camp for the displaced, where he is still vulnerable to the rains.

"The floods caught up with us when the waters surrounded our tents," he told AFP.

In Aroma, a town 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the east of Kassala, floods submerged entire houses, forcing residents to take refuge on a roadside.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that the rainy season could isolate entire regions, making rescue efforts even more difficult.

"Some have been displaced three or four times since the start of the conflict. They have lost their belongings, including food rations," said Olga Sarrado, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

They "are facing significant challenges in accessing clean water and sanitation facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases," she added.

To the west of Kassala, white tents stretch out over five square kilometres (two square miles).

"These tents don't protect us from the rain," said Fathiya Mohammed, a displaced mother trying to light a fire despite the ever-present dampness.

Like others in her situation, Mohammed counts on a single daily meal distributed by a kitchen staffed by volunteers.



Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
TT

Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Libyans have been enjoying Ramadan with feasts and fireworks -- but soaring prices, a devalued currency and political divisions have left many with little to celebrate.

Fifteen years on from the fall of longtime leader Moammar al-Gaddafi, the country remains split between east and west, while shortages of goods, including fuel, disrupt daily life, despite Libya sitting atop vast oil and gas reserves.

During the holy month of Ramadan, shoppers stock up on treats, as families gather for lavish meals before and after the daytime fast that stretches from sunrise to sunset.

But this year supermarkets have been rationing their goods, while many petrol stations are short of gas. In the capital Tripoli, most ATMs were out of cash this week.

Firas Zreeg, 37, told AFP while weaving through a crowded supermarket that the economy was deteriorating, blaming currency speculators for the fall in the dinar, "which has negative repercussions on our daily lives".

The price of cooking oil has doubled in recent weeks, while meat and poultry prices rose by half.

Refills of gas cylinders, officially priced at 1.5 dinars ($0.24) but often unavailable through state-run distributors, now sell for 75 dinars ($11.85) on the black market and at times more.

- 'Burden on citizens' -

Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that erupted following the 2011 uprising that toppled Gaddafi.

It remains divided between the Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.

The country has largely been stable in recent years although there have been bouts of deadly violence, including the killing of Gaddafi's son and heir apparent Seif al-Islam this month.

With security holding, many Libyans are more focused on their livelihoods.

Last month, the central bank in the western territory devalued the dinar -- the second time in less than a year -- by nearly 15 percent, "aimed at preserving financial and monetary stability and ensuring the sustainability of public resources".

In an address this week, GNU leader Abdulhamid Dbeibah acknowledged that the devaluation had once again "put the burden on citizens".

Hanna Tetteh, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, warned on Wednesday that "poverty and pressure on society [are] increasing".

"The situation, in addition to the fragile security landscape, should be a matter for concern as such conditions can lead to unexpected political and security challenges," she told the UN Security Council.

Libya's other economic problems included the absence of a unified national budget, in light of its political divide, as well as uncoordinated public spending due to parallel state institutions, Tetteh said.

Revenues from the oil industry were also declining, she added, while the central bank has said public spending is growing at an unsustainable pace.

On Tuesday, Libya marked 15 years since the start of the uprising, with fireworks lighting up the sky in Tripoli, but for many Libyans life remains a struggle.

"Minor improvements in security were made over the past three years," Zreeg told AFP, but Libyans are still faced with huge economic challenges.


Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
TT

Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)

Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has undergone "successful" treatment at a heart hospital, his office said Saturday, but his specific ailment was not disclosed.

"I assure you that I am fine, by God's grace," said a statement posted on social media overnight.

The treatment was carried out at a facility in the northwestern Libyan city of Misrata on an undisclosed date, said AFP.

Dbeibah said he later travelled abroad for "additional medical checkups for reassurance", though this was not the primary reason for his trip.

Italian media outlets previously reported he had been admitted to a leading cardiac facility in Milan on Thursday for a general check-up.

"The matter is simply that I underwent some additional medical checkups for reassurance while I was abroad due to a prior external commitment," he said.

"The results confirmed the success of the treatment I received in Libya, praise be to God."

The prime minister leads a UN-recognized government based in Tripoli that controls western Libya, while the country's east is run by another administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Libya has remained divided since chaos erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.


Eight Hezbollah Members Killed in Israel’s Friday Strikes on Lebanon

A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)
A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)
TT

Eight Hezbollah Members Killed in Israel’s Friday Strikes on Lebanon

A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)
A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)

Attacks carried out by Israel on Friday in eastern Lebanon killed eight members of Hezbollah, an official from the group told AFP on Saturday.

Lebanon's health ministry said Friday that a total of 10 people were killed in strikes that hit the eastern Bekaa region.

The Israeli military said it targeted "several terrorists of Hezbollah's missile array in three different command centers in the Baalbek area".

Lebanon's president on Saturday condemned the attacks, the latest despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

In a statement, Joseph Aoun called the attacks "a blatant act of aggression aimed at thwarting diplomatic efforts" by the United States and other nations to establish stability.

A lawmaker from Hezbollah called on Beirut to suspend meetings of a multinational committee tasked with monitoring the truce.

Washington is one of five members on the committee overseeing the ceasefire implemented in November 2024, with the body scheduled to meet again next week.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite the ceasefire, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah but occasionally also the group's Palestinian ally Hamas.

The Friday attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, according to the health ministry, 10 of them in the east of the country.

Israel's military said it struck "several terrorists of Hezbollah's missile array in three different command centers in the Baalbek area".

Hezbollah said a commander was killed in the raids. Its lawmaker Rami Abu Hamdan said on Saturday the group "will not accept the authorities acting as mere political analysts, dismissing these as Israeli strikes we have grown accustomed to before every meeting of the committee".

He called on Beirut to "suspend the committee's meetings until the enemy ceases its attacks".

Hezbollah, while weakened following war with Israel, remains a strong political force in Lebanon represented in parliament.

Lebanon's government last year committed to disarming the Iran-backed group, with the army saying last month it had completed the first phase of the plan covering the area near the Israeli border.

Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming since the war, has called the Lebanese army's progress on disarming the group insufficient.