ALBAWABA - According to local reports, Al Arba’at Dam, 38 kilometers northwest of Port Sudan, has collapsed leading to the killing of more than 30 people and destroying around 20 villages.
"The government delegation reported that about 70 villages around Arba’at Dam have reportedly been affected by the flash flooding of which 20 villages have been destroyed," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.
Although the effects are still being evaluated, authorities believe that 50,000 or so residents on the western side of the dam have been severely impacted. Teams from the local, provincial, and federal governments have been assigned to clear roads and carry out search and rescue missions.
UN humanitarians claim that floodwaters broke through a major dam in eastern Sudan, "destroying" about 20 towns out of the total 70 affected. This disaster adds to the misery of people already ravaged by the continuous fighting between opposing troops.
OCHA stated that a coordination team has been deployed to the affected area to conduct a full assessment of the damage in association with the relevant authorities.
"A helicopter is urgently required to assist with aerial assessment as some areas are impassable by road due to flooding," OCHA stated.
prior to the dam's collapse, floods had affected over 310,000 people nationwide, contributing to the suffering caused by the vicious conflict, which is currently in its seventeenth month.
Along with devastating agriculture and livelihoods, the war has left several regions of the nation facing acute food shortages and even famine.
