Sudan: Heavy Rainfall Across Sudan Kills At Least Three People

Children wade through flooded streets in Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur, 2016 (Ahmed Addouma / UNAMID)

Khartoum / Shendi / Wad Madani / Nyala — Several regions across Sudan have again witnessed heavy rainstorms on Tuesday, killing at least three people and partially destroying hundreds of homes across River Nile state, Khartoum, El Gezira, and South Darfur.

The River Nile state Civil Defence Department reported the recovery of two bodies, a mother and daughter, who went missing after a tourist bus was swept away by torrents of river wat north of Shendi as the bus traveled between Khartoum and Port Sudan on Tuesday.

The department had managed to rescue some passengers from the bus but said it is expecting to find more bodies of missing people in the coming days.

Vehicle Access Suspended

The River Nile Civil Defence Department suspended vehicles from crossing a number of roads in the state. Days of torrential rains^[1] have washed away sections of the Khartoum-Port Sudan highway as well as the road to Atbara, the department reported.

The General Department of Health Emergencies and Epidemic Control in El Gezira announced the death of one person. Rain and flooding have affected 150 homes in the state, with the total collapse of nine properties, the partial collapse of 141 homes and the destruction of two government facilities.

In South Darfur, another 490 families have also been affected by the torrential rains that fell in the El Salam locality. People from the area have appealed to the government and humanitarian organizations to urgently intervene.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan,^[2] at least six people died and 28,000 people affected by flooding in Central Darfur over the past week. "The rainy season usually lasts up to September, with the peak of rains and flooding observed between August and September", they wrote.

References

1. ^{^} Days of torrential rains (www.dabangasudan.org)
2. ^{^} According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan, (reports.unocha.org)