Sudan's dam collapses in heavy rains; 30 dead, thousands affected – DW – 27.08.2024

A dam that burst during heavy rains in eastern Sudan has destroyed about 20 villages and left at least 30 people dead, local authorities said on Monday.

The Arbaat Dam, 40 kilometers north of the de facto capital Port Sudan, was badly damaged by torrential rains. It was the main source of water for the city, which has a port and an airport. Most aid deliveries to Sudan are directed there.

“The area is unrecognizable. The electricity and water lines are destroyed,” said Omar Eissa Haroun, head of the Red Sea State Water Authority, in a message to his staff.

Hundreds need help

A UN report A statement released early Tuesday said a government delegation on site reported that the homes of around 50,000 people had been damaged by the incident and were in urgent need of water, food and shelter.

“The city is threatened by drought in the coming days,” said a statement from the Sudanese Environmental Association.

A paramedic said about 150 to 200 people were missing, comparing the situation to the disaster in Derna, Libya, last year, where storms broke several dams and thousands died.

A Reuters reporter saw the burial of a man, with people covering his grave with driftwood to prevent it from being washed away.

The dam was damaged by earlier-than-usual rains and had filled with mud in recent days, officials said. The dam burst on Sunday.

Rainfall and subsequent flooding have killed at least 132 people this year, Sudan's Health Ministry said on Monday.

Sudan crisis

Due to ongoing unrest between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Forces, which began in April 2023, infrastructure throughout Sudan is neglected and decaying.

According to the UN, both parties to the conflict are hindering access for aid convoys.

According to UN estimates, at least 100 people die of hunger every day in Sudan, and at least 30 percent of children are acutely malnourished.

The fighting has forced more than ten million people in the country to leave their homes, and others have fled across the borders.

The UN describes the situation as the largest refugee crisis in the world.

Adding to the devastation caused by the war, there are now even more heavy rains and floods that have destroyed homes and roads and forced tens of thousands more to flee.

tg/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)