Flooding from Sudan dam collapse worsens humanitarian crisis

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Around 20 villages in eastern Sudan have reportedly been “destroyed”, with 70 impacted overall, after floodwaters burst through a major dam, according to UN humanitarians – adding to the suffering of communities already devastated by the ongoing war between rival militaries.

The Arba’at Dam, located around 38 kilometers (24 miles) northwest of Port Sudan, collapsed on Sunday, damaging roads, electricity, and telecommunication networks, making it difficult to assess the situation, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

Authorities estimate that around 50,000 people living on the western side of the dam have been severely affected, while the impact on the eastern banks is still being assessed.

Provincial and federal government teams on the ground are working to open roads and conduct search and rescue operations.

“The government delegation reported that about 70 villages around Arba’at Dam have reportedly been affected by the flash flooding of which 20 villages have been destroyed,” OCHA said.

At least 30 fatalities have been confirmed, as of Monday, but the actual number of casualties is feared to be much higher.

Severe damage to infrastructure has also been reported, including the collapse of 84 borehole wells and 70 schools have been fully or partially destroyed. Over 10,000 livestock are also missing.

Ongoing assessments  

The Arba’at Dam is the primary source of freshwater for the key city of Port Sudan, which handles the majority of the country’s international trade and has been a hub for humanitarian operations since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April last year.

An inter-agency team led by OCHA has been deployed to the impacted areas and is coordinating with partners and authorities to support a full assessment.

“A helicopter is urgently required to assist with aerial assessment as some areas are impassable by road due to flooding,” OCHA said.

The aircraft would also boost search and rescue efforts, as some residents are said to have been trapped in the mountains where they fled for safety, while others are still marooned by floodwater, it added.

Since the onset of the rains in June, floods have wreaked havoc across many parts of Sudan, with the most affected regions being in North and West Darfur, and the River Nile states.

Devastation on top of misery

Even before the dam collapsed, more than 310,000 people had been impacted by flooding across the country, adding to the misery inflicted by the brutal fighting, now in its seventeenth month.

More than 12 million people have been displaced from their homes, both within Sudan and outside its borders.

The war has also decimated livelihoods and destroyed crops, leading to severe food shortages and now famine in several parts of the country.