Sudan flooding crisis: Death toll climbs to 132, thousands displaced

The death toll from flooding in war-torn Sudan has risen to 132 as heavy rains, exacerbated by a dam collapse, continue to ravage the country, according to a report from the Health Ministry.

Sudan's Health Ministry reported on Monday that the death toll climbed to 132, following a severe rainy season that began last month, leading to intermittent torrential flooding primarily in the northern and eastern regions of the country.

The recent report indicates that some 12,420 homes have been completely destroyed and an additional 11,472 have suffered partial damage as a result of the recent rains, with the majority of the devastation in Sudan's Northern and River Nile states.

It added that ten states have been impacted by the floods, with 31,666 families displaced and approximately a total of 129,650 individuals affected.

Heavy rainfall on Saturday inundated Arbaat region, 25 miles (40km) north of Port Sudan, leading to the collapse of the Arbaat Dam and the destruction of entire villages.

This reservoir serves as a crucial water supply for Port Sudan, the Red Sea city that became the administrative capital following the outbreak of conflict in Khartoum.

Rain is unusual for this time of year, as the region usually experiences rainfall in November and March.

The collapse of the Arbaat dam swept away villages, houses and cars, and left dozens missing and feared dead, according to local media.

"The area is unrecognizable. The electricity and water pipes are destroyed," Omar Eissa Haroun, head of the water authority for Red Sea state, said in a message to his staff.

Local volunteers helping with relief efforts told AFP that "13 people have been found dead, including women and children, while the search continues for 210 others who remain missing.”

A UN report released early Tuesday said a government delegation at the site reported the homes of about 50,000 people had been affected by the incident, and they were in need of water, food and shelter, adding that the number only accounted for the area west of the dam as the area east was inaccessible.

It also added that damage to the telecommunication network has made it difficult to gather more accurate information on the situation.

Sudan at 'catastrophic breaking point', UN warns

A UN agency warns that the dire conditions in Sudan has placed the African nation on the brink of a "cataclysmic breaking point".

Even before the outbreak of conflict in April last year between the Sudanese army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Sudan's infrastructure, including dams, roads, and bridges, was already in a state of disrepair.

According to the UN refugee agency, about 25 million people, or half of Sudan's population, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection, as the nation struggles with severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel, alongside a deadly cholera outbreak.

The ongoing conflict has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, with over 10.7 million people displaced and more than 2 million fleeing to neighboring countries, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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