ReliefWeb

HIGHLIGHTS

● Heavy rainfall has intensified in Sudan over the past week, causing more flooding, displacement and deaths, and leading the Government to declare a three-month State of Emergency in the country.

● 650,000 people have been affected since the start of the rains in mid-July, more than 110,000 in the first week of September alone, according to the Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission.

● Thousands of people are displaced, and many are sheltering in schools, creating further challenges for the Government and teachers just before schools are set to reopen

● Government and humanitarians have been assisting 200,000 people in all areas affected but the unprecedented flooding has surpassed the forecast and partners are running out of supplies to continue the response.

● The situation could deteriorate over the coming days, as heavy rains forecast in Ethiopia and several parts of Sudan will likely cause the further increase of water levels in the Blue Nile, leading to more flooding and destruction.

● As shown in the graph below, more people are affected by floods this year than in the past seven years.

Situation Overview

Heavy rains and floods continue Torrential rains and flooding affect an increasing number of people and are causing more destruction across Sudan, according to the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC).
On 13 September, HAC reported that 650,000 people had been affected by floods in 17 out of Sudan’s 18 states.
More than 111,000 houses were either destroyed or damaged. Floods also destroyed 1,700 ha of agricultural land, 179 public facilities (schools, health centres, and government offices), 359 shops and warehouses, and killed 5,500 head of livestock. Approximately 43 per cent of all people affected are in Khartoum, North Darfur, and Sennar states. HAC warned that more floodrelated damages are anticipated in the coming few days in River Nile and Northern states.
The most urgent needs are shelter, non-food items, and WASH services. Readiness to respond to health outbreaks as a result of floods and vector borne diseases is urgent. More than 170,000 flood-affected Sudanese people and refugees are receiving non-food items in Darfur.
Ahead of the rainy season, stocks were pre-positioned to facilitate aid delivery. Stocks were prepositioned for a full range of humanitarian response activities - not only for potential flood response - for 250,000 people. This number has now been revised to 750,000 people affected, out of which 650,000 have been affected to date. Sectors are reporting that stocks are running low or are depleted given the scale of the floods.