People Affected by Sudan’s Floods Complain of Poor State Assistance

Part of the damage caused by the torrential rains in the Managil area in central Sudan (AP)
Part of the damage caused by the torrential rains in the Managil area in central Sudan (AP)
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People Affected by Sudan’s Floods Complain of Poor State Assistance

Part of the damage caused by the torrential rains in the Managil area in central Sudan (AP)
Part of the damage caused by the torrential rains in the Managil area in central Sudan (AP)

People affected by Sudan’s floods complained of the State’s failure to help them and accused the authorities of not providing the necessary aid to confront the humanitarian catastrophe.

Floods and heavy rains in Sudan left 79 people dead and 30 injured, in addition to the partial or complete collapse of nearly 40,000 homes and the displacement of about 150,000 people.

The Early Warning Unit warned of the possibility of continuous moderate to heavy rain in a number of regions of the country in the coming days.

As of 12 August, torrential rains and floods have affected a number of provinces, destroying houses and facilities and damaging a number of agricultural projects and roads, especially in the River Nile and Gezira provinces.

On Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that more than 136,000 people have been affected by floods in the eastern Sudan and Kordofan states. The UN agency said it expected this figure to increase as the counting was still underway and heavy rains had been forecast.

Sudan’s rainy season usually lasts until September, with floods peaking just before then.

Last year, flooding and heavy rain killed more than 80 people and swamped tens of thousands of houses across the country. In 2020, authorities declared Sudan a natural disaster area and imposed a three-month state of emergency across the country after the deluge killed around 100 people and inundated over 100,000 houses.



Hamas Armed Wing Says Fate of Israeli-American Hostage Edan Alexander Unknown

Signs and a photograph of Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli and Israel Defense Forces soldier taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, stand outside a Jewish community center in Alexander’s home town of Tenafly, New Jersey, US, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Stephani Spindel/File
Signs and a photograph of Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli and Israel Defense Forces soldier taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, stand outside a Jewish community center in Alexander’s home town of Tenafly, New Jersey, US, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Stephani Spindel/File
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Hamas Armed Wing Says Fate of Israeli-American Hostage Edan Alexander Unknown

Signs and a photograph of Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli and Israel Defense Forces soldier taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, stand outside a Jewish community center in Alexander’s home town of Tenafly, New Jersey, US, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Stephani Spindel/File
Signs and a photograph of Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli and Israel Defense Forces soldier taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, stand outside a Jewish community center in Alexander’s home town of Tenafly, New Jersey, US, December 14, 2024. REUTERS/Stephani Spindel/File

Hamas's armed wing said on Saturday the fate of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander was unknown after the group found the guard who was holding the hostage killed.

On Tuesday, Hamas said it had lost contact with a group of its members holding Alexander in Gaza after the Israeli army attacked the place where the militants were holding him.

Alexander is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army.

"We are trying to protect all the hostages and preserve their lives ... but their lives are in danger because of the criminal bombings by the enemy's army," the armed-wing Al-Qassam Brigades's spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, said, reiterating an accusation that Israel's army is to blame for the killing of hostages in the enclave, Reuters reported.

Israel has accused Hamas of killing hostages in its custody.

"The fate of the prisoner (hostage) and the rest of the captors remains unknown," Abu Ubaida added.

There was no immediate comment by the Israeli army on Hamas's statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to give a statement later on Saturday.

The release of Alexander was at the center of earlier talks held between Hamas leaders and US hostage negotiator Adam Boehler last month.

President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at the White House in March that gaining the release of Alexander, believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, was a "top priority".

Hamas so far released 38 hostages under a brief ceasefire that began on January 19.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza in March after ceasefire talks stalled, with both sides blaming one another for the failure to reach an agreement.

Israel says its offensive in Gaza aims to release the remaining 59 hostages, while Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.