Heavy rains, flooding affect nearly 500,000 people in North Darfur, Red Sea

September 9, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Humanitarian partners working with the United Nations said heavy rains and flooding have impacted on about half a million people in South Darfur, Red Sea, River Nile and Northern states since June, with North Darfur State being the hardest hit.

In response to the situation, however, aid organizations reportedly delivered life-saving therapeutic food to treat 6,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Nyala, South Darfur state.

In the Northern State, for instance, partners distributed relief items to tens of thousands of people.

The severe flooding is worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, the UN warned.

In areas at risk of famine, including in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, about 124,000 people have been impacted by heavy rains, according to the information availed to the UN.

Additionally, flooding and stagnant water are also heightening the risk of diseases spreading, with nearly 2,900 suspected cholera cases reported since the latest outbreak in mid-August.

“We and our partners are on the ground, aiding those who need assistance,” partly reads a UN statement, adding “We and our partners continue the efforts to respond to the recent outbreaks.”

Separately, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that more than 400,000 cholera vaccine doses have arrived in Sudan awaiting distribution.

(ST)