Flooding Kills More Than 90 People in Sudan
Sudan has been in a state of emergency since September 4 as a result of serious flooding.
Sudanese authorities declared a 3-month state of emergency on September 4 over deadly flooding throughout 16 states. The flooding is currently affecting more than half a million people, displacing Sudanese citizens from their homes, and has killed more than 100 people.
Sudan’s rainy season normally lasts from June to early October, but rains were dangerously heavy this season—115 people have died from torrential downpours since July. September has been a time of immense struggle for many Sudanese, with floods of the Nile River becoming practically intolerable to residents living in close proximity. Many say that they have “tried to salvage what’s left,” but they have “lost everything.”
The current protocol in place to control the floods has been to vacate homes that have been severely damaged by rainfall and river overflow, set up makeshift camps in schools for the newly homeless, and create committees of government officials to inform the public about imminent flooding in their area. In addition, humanitarian aid on behalf of the UN has become another source of food, shelter, and medicine. However, resources are being depleted more quickly than the UN can keep up with, and as a result, the Sudanese people are not getting the help they need.
One factor in the recovery process from the floods that is unavoidable is the impact of COVID-19. Any humanitarian aid attempting to alleviate some of the concerns associated with the flood including food, medical supplies, and emergency shelter supplies has been severely delayed. Therefore, many states that are greatly affected by the flooding are unable to receive the help they need in a timely fashion.
Sudan was previously struggling from an ongoing currency shortage which has driven up prices and eroded public trust in the government. With the floods, this economic crisis has only been exacerbated by a dramatic increase in homelessness.
A worker for the Ministry of Health, El Obaien (38) speaks about how his daily food routine has changed drastically: “I reduced the meals that I have per day, and I stopped thinking about the quality of food. I just eat anything that would be cheap enough and I can afford.”
Not only have the floods affected the Sudanese acutely, but this crisis has also put historical landmarks in jeopardy. The Nile River now threatens al-Bajrawiya, the land of the ancient Kingdom of Kush that controlled the region for more than a millennium, was home to pyramids, temples, and cemeteries that show the Kushite’s State’s wealth. Losing this land to river overflow would be extremely devastating in preserving ancient Sudanse history.
Ways in which this crisis can be averted in following years would be to fix any unsuitable infrastructure by creating ditches, canals, and dams, to replan buildings and roads to be prepared to withstand river damage, and to use technology to sense areas that are greatly affected.