The Arba’at Dam, located about 38 kilometers northwest of Port Sudan, collapsed on Sunday, damaging roads, electricity and telecommunications networks, making it difficult to assess the situation, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said (OCHA) reported.
Authorities estimate that around 50,000 people living on the west side of the dam have been seriously affected. The impact on the eastern banks is still being assessed.
Provincial and federal government teams are on the ground working to clear roads and conduct search and rescue operations.
“The government delegation reported that around 70 villages around the Arba’at Dam have been affected by the flash floods, of which 20 villages have been destroyed,” OCHA said.
At least 30 deaths were confirmed on Monday, but the It is feared that the actual number of victims is much higher.
There have also been reports of serious damage to infrastructure, including the collapse of 84 boreholes and 70 schools have been completely or partially destroyed. More than 10,000 cattle are also missing.
Ongoing assessments
The Arba’at Dam is the main source of fresh water for the key city of Port Sudan, which handles most of the country’s international trade and has been a hub for humanitarian operations since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). which erupted in April last year.
An inter-service team led by OCHA has been deployed to the affected areas and is working with partners and authorities to support a full assessment.
“A helicopter is urgently needed to assist with aerial assessment as some areas are impassable by road due to flooding,” OCHA said.
The aircraft would also bolster search and rescue efforts as some residents are said to be trapped in the mountains and have fled there for safety, while others are still trapped in the floodwaters, the report said.
Since the start of the rains in June, floods have caused devastation in large parts of Sudan, but the worst affected regions are North and West Darfur and the states around the River Nile.
Destruction on top of misery
Even before the dam collapsed, more than 310,000 people across the country were affected by flooding, adding to the misery caused by the fierce fighting that has now lasted for 17 months.
More than 12 million people have been displaced, both inside and outside Sudan.
The war has also decimated living conditions and destroyed crops, leading to severe food shortages and now famine in various parts of the country.