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
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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.



Lebanon Prepares Safe Shelters Ahead of Possible Conflict

A ministerial meeting at Lebanon’s Grand Serail: Photo: X account of the premiership
A ministerial meeting at Lebanon’s Grand Serail: Photo: X account of the premiership
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Lebanon Prepares Safe Shelters Ahead of Possible Conflict

A ministerial meeting at Lebanon’s Grand Serail: Photo: X account of the premiership
A ministerial meeting at Lebanon’s Grand Serail: Photo: X account of the premiership

Lebanon's government has completed its emergency plan to handle a possible conflict with Israel and has fully prepared its administrative, health, and logistical agencies.

The plan primarily involves converting public schools into shelters for displaced people and equipping them with necessary supplies.

Israel's military and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have traded strikes since the current war in Gaza began, but tensions have escalated since an Israeli strike in a Beirut suburb killed Fouad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander, last month. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate.

In a recent ministerial meeting, Lebanese caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, who heads the Emergency and Disaster Response Committee, said the goal was to “ensure the readiness of crisis cells across all provinces and strengthen them if needed.”

Yassin explained that discussions with governors focused on the shelters. A list of these has been created in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, which is working with a taskforce to prepare the schools.

He added that the committee and the Ministry of Education are preparing more schools for emergencies, verifying their readiness and ensuring they have essential supplies.

These shelters will be equipped with bedding, hygiene products, and food. Funding will come from the treasury and support from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other international organizations.

Yassin noted that if displacement reaches levels seen in 2006, with about one million displaced, the committee will need $100 million per month. This funding will be secured through emergency credits and support from international organizations.

The Committee is compiling a list of shelters and evaluating their capacities.

A committee source told Asharq Al-Awsat that shelters are selected based on several criteria: they must be located away from high-risk areas, have enough space and basic facilities, and be easily accessible from regions affected by Israeli airstrikes.

The shelters also need to allow easy entry and exit for relief teams. The source confirmed that all selected shelters meet these requirements.