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What happened, where and when?
Sudan has been grappling with heavy rains that have led to widespread flooding across many regions, worsening the already dire situation caused by the conflict that began 16 months ago. Between June 1 and August 12, 2024, DTM Sudan reported 60 incidents of heavy rains and floods, resulting in sudden displacement (IOM). The rainy season is expected to continue until October 2024, with forecasts predicting above-average rainfall. The likelihood of additional flash floods and river flooding remains high. So far, Red Sea, River Nile, and Northern State have been the most severely affected.
Sudan has faced flooding in recent years, but the current humanitarian crisis, combined with heavy rains and deadly floods, has had a devastating impact on communities. Both those displaced by conflict and the host communities supporting them under already challenging conditions are suffering. The floods have rendered roads impassable, further complicating the delivery of aid.
Scope and Scale
While Sudan is experiencing a conflict which has caused significant damage to its infrastructure, the humanitarian situation in country combined with high level of rains and deadly floods which have led to a devastating impact for both communities, those communities that have been displaced due to the conflict and the host communities which have been supporting those displaced under already dire conditions.
To date, heavy rains, torrents and floods caused 64 loss of life, 1,246 injuries, 39,081 houses are completely destructed, 11,995 are partially damaged, 270 public facilities and 34,219 latrines are destroyed as well as 10,762 livestock have been perished. The rains destroyed a number of bridges and washed away many main roads, which hindered the movement of goods and passengers in large areas of the affected States. The floods in Northern state and Red Sea are also leading to and increasing displacement.
Northern State In Northern State, the SRCS rapid assessment report indicates that over 50,000 people have been affected, with 10,000 homes completely destroyed and 2,485 partially damaged. Floods and rainwater are besieging large areas of the Northern State, causing the collapse of homes and infrastructure and cutting off the main roads linking the state capital, Dongola, to other cities. Heavy rains that hit the Gold locality in the south of the state led to the complete collapse of 920 houses and the partial collapse of more than 2,000 houses.
The state is reportedly considered the most affected by road closures due to the heavy rains that it witnessed during the past days. As of August 28, the main road linking Atbara and Abu Hamad in the Al-Ubaidiya area has been closed. The road between Dongola and Halfa was also affected. The international road linking Sudan and Egypt was cut off in the Abu Sara area, north of Delg, as well.
River Nile State According to the SRCS initial assessment report, in River Nile State, approximately 96,609 people have been impacted by heavy rains and flash floods, with 24,104 homes completely destroyed, 8,016 partially damaged, and 32,202 latrines collapsed across the Abu Hamad locality. At least 34 people have died, and 588 have been injured in River Nile State alone. All prepositioning stocks are quickly depleting and require urgent replenishment to sustain the ongoing response.
Red Sea State.
Since the late July, the rains and floods that the Red Sea State is exposed to, especially in the north are very exceptional, given that the region was accustomed to only winter rains. Floods caused by heavy rains have cut off the main road linking Sudan and Egypt along the Red Sea coast, between the cities of Port Sudan and Oseif. The national road linking the state to the rest of Sudan was cut off in the areas of “Aqaba” and “Jebeit”, causing trucks, private cars and buses to pile up in the surrounding areas.
On August 25, the Sudanese government officially announced that the catastrophic collapse of the Arba’at Dam in Sudan's Red Sea State, resulting in at least 30 deaths and 64 missing persons. The collapse, which occurred approximately 38 km northwest of Port Sudan, severely impacted around 50,000 people living near the dam. The disaster also led to the loss of 10,000 livestock, the collapse of 84 wells, the destruction of 70 schools, 1,380 latrines, and 20 villages and hamlets, along with extensive damage to infrastructure.
Reports from the United Nations further indicate that some residents near Arba’at Dam were forced to flee to the mountains for safety, while others were evacuated. The reports also revealed that the damage to the dam body had completely emptied the reservoir, indicating that the damage could significantly impact water supplies in Port Sudan, as the Arba’at Dam is a major source of fresh water for the city. The flooding of Khor Arab led to the closure of the national road in the city of “Haya”, while Khor Baraka, whose waters completely submerged the city of Tokar, caused the road between Port Sudan and Tokar to be cut off, in addition to the road linking Port Sudan and the locality of Aqeeq.
The floods have worsened the already critical health conditions across the country, leading to a significant cholera outbreak, particularly in the states of Kassala, Gedaref, and River Nile, where the highest number of cases have been reported. Contaminated water supplies, resulting from floodwaters mixing with sewage, have fuelled this outbreak.
Cholera outbreak The Sudanese Ministry of Health declared that 2,895 cholera cases were recorded, with 112 deaths associated with the epidemic, between July 22 and September 1. The Ministry has stressed that the epidemic was caused by environmental conditions and unclean drinking water in several places including the states of Kassala and Gedaref in eastern Sudan which are the most exposed to the epidemic.
Sudan has faced cholera outbreaks in the past, but the current situation is exacerbated by deteriorating health infrastructure, damaged water systems, and limited access to medical supplies due to the ongoing conflict. According to initial assessments of SRCS, immediate needs of the people in the affected areas of flood and cholera are safe water, waste disposal, hygiene, food, NFI, health service and shelter but the needs are beyond what has been seen in past years and thus require the comprehensive support.