Devastating Floods in Eastern Sudan: A Region in Ruins

Surging waters burst through the Arbaat Dam in eastern Sudan, destroying five villages and causing unknown fatalities. This disaster compounds the region's struggles amid civil war. The dam, crucial for Port Sudan's water supply, crumbled after unprecedented rains, leaving the city facing acute water shortages and further displacement of residents.

Devastating floods have wreaked havoc in eastern Sudan after surging waters burst through the Arbaat Dam, obliterating five villages and claiming an unspecified number of lives. The torrential rains, which began on Sunday, compounded the region's ongoing suffering from months of civil war.

Officials described the area as 'unrecognisable' with widespread damage to infrastructure. Omar Eissa Haroun, head of the Red Sea state's water authority, recounted seeing the remains of gold miners swept away by the deluge. The Arbaat Dam, critical for providing water to Port Sudan, has left the de facto national capital on the brink of a severe water crisis.

The already crumbling infrastructure, worsened by civil war since April 2023, has seen little maintenance as resources are funneled into the conflict. The floods have led to 132 deaths countrywide this rainy season, and over 118,000 displaced, intensifying the humanitarian crisis in Sudan where half the population faces food insecurity.

(With inputs from agencies.)