Sudan flood death toll rises as downpours continue

Around 20,000 houses 'completely destroyed' since May

Men sift through the rubble of a destroyed house, after floods in the village of Makaylab, in Sudan's River Nile state. Photo: AFP

Crossing the floodwaters in Al Manaqil, in Sudan's Al Jazira state. Reuters

A woman collects her belongings after sustaining water damage to her house during floods in Al-Managil locality, in Jazeera State, Sudan August 23, 2022. REUTERS / Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Taking a rest during floods in Al Manaqil. Reuters

A house damaged by heavy rainfall in the village of Aboud. AP

A donkey is up to its neck in water as it pulls passengers in a cart in Al Manaqil. Reuters

A woman wades through floodwaters in the village of Makaylab. AFP

Salvaging furniture after heavy rainfall in Aboud. AP

A stadium offers temporary shelter after for those displaced by floods in the village of Makaylab. AFP

Women take shelter in the stadium. AFP

A damaged house in Makaylab. AFP

An elderly woman displaced by floods in Makaylab. AFP

At least 89 people have been killed by flash floods in Sudan since the start of the country’s rainy season in May, an official said on Tuesday.

The death toll comes as rain continues to pour across the east African nation.

Around 20,000 houses have been “completely destroyed” across the country and more than 30,000 partly damaged, said Brig Gen Abdul Jalil Abdul Rahim, spokesman for Sudan’s National Council for Civil Defence.

The UN said more than 146,200 people have been affected by floods. Footage aired by local media shows rising waters submerging villages. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in six of the country’s 18 provinces.

The western Darfur region and the provinces of Nile River, White Nile, West Kordofan and South Kordofan are among the hardest hit, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

UN agencies suffer from significant funding shortages. OCHA said donors provided around $608 million for Sudan’s humanitarian response so far this year — less than a third of what is required.

The country has been without a functioning government since an October military coup derailed its short-lived democratic transition following the 2019 removal of longtime autocrat Omar Al Bashir.

Sudan’s rainy season usually starts in June and lasts until the end of September, with floods peaking in August and September. More than 80 people were killed last year in flood-related incidents during the rainy season.