Sudan floods continue to tear up homes, 66 people killed

Some 24,000 homes and two dozen government buildings have been badly damaged or completely destroyed in Sudan since the rains started in June

August 16, 2022 06:05 pm | Updated 06:54 pm IST - Cairo

Representational image of a flooded area in south Sudan

Representational image of a flooded area in south Sudan | Photo Credit: Reuters

Flash floods triggered by heavy rains continued to tear up homes across Sudan, an official said on Tuesday, with the death toll rising to 66 since the start of the rainy season.

Earlier this week, authorities had said that at least 50 people were killed since the rains started in June.

Brig. Gen. Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rahim, spokesman for Sudan's National Council for Civil Defence, said on Tuesday that at least 28 people were reported injured during the same period.

Some 24,000 homes and two dozen government buildings have been badly damaged or completely destroyed, he said.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since an October military coup derailed its short-lived democratic transition following the 2019 removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising.

Floods in 12 of 18 Sudan provinces

Overall, around 136,000 people have been impacted by heavy rainfall and floods in 12 of Sudan's 18 provinces, according to the government-run Humanitarian Aid Commission.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the floods also inundated 238 health facilities. The western Darfur region and the provinces of Nile River, White Nile, West Kordofan and South Kordofan were among the hardest hit, it said.

Footage circulated online over the past weeks showing flood waters sweeping through streets and people struggling to save their belongings.

Sudan's rainy season usually starts in June and lasts until the end of September, with floods peaking in August and September.

More than 80 people were killed last year in flood-related incidents during the rainy season.

In 2020, authorities declared Sudan a natural disaster area and imposed a three-month state of emergency across the country after flooding and heavy rains killed around 100 people and inundated over 100,000 houses.

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