The rains have left dozens dead. Thousands of people in the farming town of Al Managil and surrounding villages have lost homes and property in what they say is the worst flooding in a decade.
Yousif Ibrahim Abubaker
Across Sudan, more than 150,000 people have been affected by flooding so far this year, double the number of last year’s rainy season. The death toll is said to be about 89 and about 50,000 homes have been damaged.
El Manaqil, a district of Al Jazirah state, Sudan is worst affected. The capital is also called El Manaqil and its population is 906,216. It is one 7 districts in Al Jazirah.
After annual rains that have left dozens dead in Sudan, thousands of people in the farming town of Al Managil and surrounding villages have lost homes and property in what they say is the worst flooding in a decade.
The disaster has been declared, where the number of affected families has reached 3,000 and the number of houses that were completely destroyed by the floods exceeded 12,551 and about 20,257 were partially destroyed. The reports also indicated the destruction of 33 government facilities, 39 shops and 1,470 acres of agricultural land. More than 4,000 families have been affected by the floods in White Nile state.
The affected families throughout the state were in critical humanitarian condition and in need of food, shelter, and medical attention.
Heavy rainfall resumed again not only in El Gezira, but also across northern Sudan, with more than 85 millimeters of rain falling in Dongola on Tuesday.
Some of those affected in El Gezira told Radio Dabanga that the flooding of roads connecting the state capital Wad Madani and El Managil is hampering the delivery of aid to the region.
More than 10,000 farmers owning agricultural land containing cotton, beans and sorghum have been impacted by rainwater, particularly those from El Managil and the surrounding villages,
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reported on Sunday last that around 25,000 to 30,000 people in El Managil have been affected by floods. Both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as Qatar, have since sent humanitarian aid and deployed forces to El Gezira.
As of Tuesday, OCHA reported that more than 156,000 people across the whole of Sudan have been affected by the past month of flooding and more than 12,500 homes have been completely destroyed. Another 21,400 houses are damaged.
In an updated report on Wednesday, OCHA confirmed that the flood waters is hampering the movement of commercial and humanitarian supplies. The authorities of El Gezira and communities are doing maintenance work on the road to facilitate the movement of people.
The UN agency also states that some of its humanitarian partners reported delays for travel permits, with additional requirements to provide details, including exact location and date of assessments and the delivery of assistance. This new travel requirement delayed the planned movement of partners from Khartoum to the states and hampers response.
According to Sudan’s official news agency (SUNA), the Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, directed his Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre on Monday to implement an ‘‘air bridge’’ enabling food, shelter and aid to enter areas affected by the flooding and torrential rainfall.
On Tuesday, the first two Saudi planes loaded with 100 tons of food and shelter equipment landed in Sudan. The US Embassy in Khartoum also affirmed its readiness to help those affected by the floods.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the embassy expressed its sorrow for the loss of life, damage to property, and to the more than 146,000 Sudanese people affected by flooding since May. It added that it is working with both the international community and the United Nations to provide direct assistance to the Sudanese people through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Khartoum Resistance Committees Coordination also announced its intention to support those affected by torrential rains and floods in a statement.
They had previously called for a general strike to be held on Wednesday, to protest against Sudan’s ruling junta, but postponed the civil disobedience action to be able to organize help for those affected by the floods. The strike previously announced also needed more organization, alignment and coordination.
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A poet and writer from Omdurman Umbda –Sudan, Yousif Ibrahim Abubaker works as an English Instructor, Trainer and Freelance Interpreter. He also has been working as a debate leader discussing various topics in many English Institutes, Centers, Academy and schools.
