Sudan army evacuates flood-hit villages as high Nile levels loom

August 24, 2025 (KASSALA / MEROWE) – The Sudanese army deployed helicopters on Sunday to evacuate villagers trapped by the flooding Gash River in eastern Kassala state, as authorities in Northern State issued urgent warnings of dangerously high Nile levels expected to last until October.

The army stated in a press release that its air force was conducting evacuations in several villages at the directive of Army Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Military helicopters were seen delivering food aid to residents of Tandlai village, which has been completely cut off from floodwaters for the past two days. The seasonal Gash River, a major tributary, began to swell last week, threatening the city of Kassala and its surrounding rural areas.

Local residents have long demanded that the state government construct an 18-kilometre road to connect the area to the national highway, which would protect them from the annual flooding during the rainy season.

Meanwhile, in Northern State, authorities in the Merowe locality warned residents along the Nile to take “the highest necessary precautions” to protect lives and property.

The warning is directed at communities downstream from the Merowe Dam, particularly those in vulnerable low-lying areas, on islands, and operators of agricultural projects and river water stations. Officials stated that the significant rise in water levels is expected to continue until the end of October.

The Merowe Dam administration had issued a bulletin on August 10, forecasting the rise based on high water levels monitored in the upper reaches of the Nile. The administration noted that this would require a gradual opening of the dam’s spillway gates over the coming weeks.