Sudan hit by floods which after months of rain caused at least 83 deaths and involved more than 146,000 people. For the fourth consecutive year, extensive floods with above-average rainfall, in addition to casualties, partially or completely destroyed nearly 44,000 homes across the country. Whole villages have been submerged and many families have lost all their possessions. As the downpours persist over the next few days and weeks, further loss of life and housing could occur. According to forecasts, in fact, the rains will last until September.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in six of the country’s eighteen provinces. Among the areas most affected are central and southern Darfur, the River Nile and western Darfur. Ongoing assessments indicate that the floods have also damaged several areas in the state of Gezira. Save the Children urges donors to recognize the gravity of the flood crisis in Sudan and to allocate new funds to respond to the immediate needs of children and their families. The humanitarian response plan for Sudan is currently less than a third funded, leaving a serious gap in the health, housing and child protection sectors.
South Sudan, in the heart of the worst food crisis of the last 10 years: MSF’s story
The territory of Sudan is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate emergency. In recent years, the northern regions have seen the Sahara desert advance southward by nearly a mile each year and a decrease in average annual rainfall of 15-30%. Sudan is also one of the 20 countries most vulnerable globally to damage resulting from the increased frequency of major flood events. “We are witnessing entire communities swept away by rising waters – says Arshad Malik, director of Save the Children in Sudan – We have not yet seen the end of this disaster: the rains continue to fall and are expected to continue until September. what it is to have such devastating floods every 100 years, in Sudan we are witnessing much more regular and more ferocious floods. We cannot expect families to be able to recover year after year, flood after flood ”.
Sudan, like its surrounding areas, is suffering the worst impacts of the climate crisis despite having contributed least of all to its causes. We call on the leaders of the world‘s most polluting countries to address the root causes of the climate crisis for the sake of current and future generations of children. “In Sudan, the worst food crisis in decades is putting the lives of millions of children at risk. The combined impact of conflict, climate change, Covid and rising food prices has left nearly 12 million people (a quarter of the population) struggling with extreme food shortages.