Dam disaster leaves dozens dead in war-torn African state
At least 30 people have lost their lives and 20 villages have been destroyed after a dam burst in Sudan’s eastern Red Sea state as a result of severe rain and flooding, the UN reported on Monday.
The Arbaat Dam overflowed on Sunday, 40 km (25 miles) north of the regional capital Port Sudan. The dam burst on Saturday night after heavy rains, local media reported, and more than 100 people are missing since then.
“The area is unrecognizable. The electricity and water pipes are destroyed,” said Omar Eissa Haroun, the head of the water authority for Red Sea state.
On Sunday, Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, had a meeting with locals affected by the situation.
The floods have impacted the homes of approximately 50,000 people, according to the United Nations, citing local authorities.
The dam had served as the primary water source for Port Sudan – a crucial hub containing the country’s main Red Sea port, airport, and key entry point for much-needed aid deliveries. The Sudanese Environmentalists Association warned that the city is “threatened with thirst in the coming days,” as water supplies dwindle due to the disaster.
Sudan’s Health Ministry has deployed resources to assist those stranded by the flooding in the nation, which is already devastated by war. Since fighting erupted in April last year between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan has seen widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.
The conflict has displaced more than 10.7 million people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with over 2 million fleeing to neighboring countries.
On July 3, the UN reported that more than 136,000 people had fled the state of Sennar after the paramilitary RSF launched a series of assaults in the region. According to the UN, around 25 million people, including over 14 million children, are facing hunger in Sudan and desperately need aid.
