The situation is worsening in Sudan, where at least 134 people have died in floods since the start of the rainy season in May and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed, police said Thursday (September 15th).
Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan between May and October, causing severe flooding that damages homes, infrastructure and crops.
A last report released in early September had reported at least 112 dead.
Khartoum declared a state of emergency in August due to heavy flooding in six states of Sudan, as the country is plunged into a severe economic crisis.
According to figures from the National Civil Defense Council (NCDC), 134 people died and 120 were injured in the rains which destroyed or damaged more than 128,000 homes.
House collapse, drowning and electrocution are the main causes of death.
The highest number of deaths was recorded in North Kordofan state (central), while the highest number of house collapses was seen in White Nile state (south), according to this source. .
Worsening economic crisis
According to the UN, one in three Sudanese needs humanitarian aid, inflation is close to 200% every month, the currency is in freefall and, since the putsch led on October 25, 2021 by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, the price of bread has increased tenfold.
Citing government figures, the UN said recently that the floods had affected 286,400 people across Sudan.
The states of Nile, North Kordofan, South Kordofan, Kassala and Gedaref as well as the Darfur region are among the most affected, according to UNICEF.
The UN further warned that the floods could affect some 460,000 people this year, far more than the annual average of 388,600 recorded between 2017 and 2021.
With AFP
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