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Floods caused by torrential rains in Sudan have killed 63 since July: interior ministry

Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan from June to October, and Sudan faces severe flooding every year

By AFP
August 17, 2020
Displaced people walk with their belongings in a flooded area after the Nile river overflowed after continuous heavy rain which caused thousands of people to be displaced in Bor, central South Sudan, on August 9, 2020. — AFP/Akuot Chol

KHARTOUM: Sudan on Sunday said floods caused by torrential rains have killed 63 people since July, with thousands more forced from their homes by the seasonal storms.

Over 14,000 homes and 119 public buildings were destroyed, while more than 16,000 homes have been badly damaged, government civil defence organisations calculate, according to a statement from the interior ministry.

Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan from June to October, and Sudan faces severe flooding every year.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that over 185,000 people have been affected by the floods, with more rainfall expected in the months ahead.

The rains have caused flooding, landslides and damage to houses and infrastructure in 17 of the 18 states across the country, OCHA said.

"Humanitarian needs are rapidly increasing in Sudan, as the country faces multiple shocks, including the economic crisis, recent floods, violence and disease outbreaks," OCHA said Sunday.

The two most affected states are Gezira and Kassala, in the east of the North African country.