Catastrophic Dam Collapse in Sudan: Lives Lost, Many Missing

A dam in Sudan's Red Sea state collapsed, causing floodwaters that have killed at least four people and left many missing. The Arbaat dam's failure has exacerbated the country's humanitarian crisis amid ongoing conflict, cholera outbreaks, and seasonal floods.

A dam in Sudan's Red Sea state collapsed, sending floodwaters over nearby homes and killing at least four people, according to the health ministry. Media reports indicate scores of people are missing.

The Arbaat dam, located 40 kilometers north of Port Sudan, failed late Saturday after heavy rains. Resources have been deployed to help stranded individuals, but exact figures on the missing remain unconfirmed.

This disaster compounds a growing humanitarian crisis fueled by ongoing conflict, cholera outbreaks, and seasonal floods that have already claimed over 130 lives in the past two months. More than 10.7 million people have fled their homes since the conflict began in April 2023.

The seasonal floods have decimated civilian infrastructure, and a recent cholera outbreak has claimed at least 28 lives. The World Health Organization reported that more than 650 cases have been identified, with ongoing vaccination efforts.

Information has been difficult to gather due to mobile network outages. The government has reported that over 23,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed by recent floods.

(With inputs from agencies.)