Rain and floods add to misery of Sudanese displaced by war

Rain and floods add to misery of Sudanese displaced by war

As a deluge of rain exacerbates the suffering of over a million Sudanese who sought safety in the area from a 15-month-old war, thousands of people are stuck on the streets of Kassala, in eastern Sudan.

 

The start of the rainy season earlier this month has already harmed shelters, rendered highways impassable, and increased the risk of water-borne illnesses for millions of people throughout a significant portion of the nation.

 

This occurs while the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to enlarge their territory in the conflict with the national army, adding to the already alarming number of displaced persons in Sudan—more than 10 million at this point.

 

Since the conflict broke out in April 2023, there have been numerous hunger alerts and what the UN has called the greatest humanitarian crisis in history.

 

The United Nations reports that some 765,000 people are seeking shelter in Gedaref state and over 255,000 people are in Kassala state, which experienced the worst of the rain over the weekend.

 

Since the conflict broke out in April 2023, there have been numerous hunger alerts and what the UN has called the greatest humanitarian crisis in history.

 

The United Nations reports that some 765,000 people are seeking shelter in Gedaref state and over 255,000 people are in Kassala state, which experienced the worst of the rain over the weekend.

 

Sennar state is home to the majority of the 165,000 new arrivals, many of whom came in recent weeks while walking in the rain. Over 10,000 people arrived in Kassala city and were crammed into the few abandoned buildings that remained, such as an abandoned hangar and a school courtyard that soon filled with water.

 

"We endured the sun beating down on us, but we can't handle the rain," Nada Omer remarked.

 

They are currently waiting on the street behind tarps or store awnings, as it is predicted that the heavier-than-normal rains will last until September. According to relief workers and government officials, some have rejected the idea of moving outside the city, where there would be less prospects for employment.

 

"We are waiting in the street and have nowhere to settle," said Hussein Abdo, another displaced person.

 

At least five people have reportedly been killed because of the rains, according to the United Nations.

Those who arrived earlier from Khartoum or El Gezira state, or in slightly drier al-Gedaref, are not much better off, sleeping on the floor in schools with few services and makeshift, shallow toilets that have also been flooded.

 

Little was done to prepare for the situation, said Plan International's Mohammed Qazilbash. "We are coming up to 500 days of the war, and everybody is exhausted... It's one tragedy over another over another," he told Reuters.

 

The government and aid workers are bracing for the expected rise in water-borne diseases, including cholera, malaria, and dengue fever, with few medicines to treat them.

 

"We are sharing what is available, but it is above our capacity" said Dr Ali Adam, head of the state health ministry.

 

The rainy season impacts most of the country. Last week, more than 1,000 houses and 800 latrines were destroyed by rain at Zamzam camp in North Darfur, one of the locations in the country where experts say famine is likely.

 

Meanwhile, the RSF's advance has not stopped, and on Monday it said it had reached an area about 180km (112 miles) from Gedaref, one of the states that has sheltered the most people.

 

Kassala, the only neighbouring army-controlled state, does not have capacity to absorb people from Gedaref, nor does the army's de facto capital Port Sudan, on the Red Sea.

 

"People are scared, but there's no options," said a volunteer in the Gedaref emergency response room. "They are awaiting their fate, the other cities are full."