Death toll from Sudan's heavy rains rises to 138

Khartoum, Aug 28 : The death toll from heavy rains hitting so far 10 states in Sudan has reached 138, the country's Health Ministry said.

"A total of 138 deaths have been recorded, while 31,666 families, comprising more than 129,650 people, were affected," the Ministry's Autumn Emergency Room said on Tuesday in a statement, adding that 12,420 houses completely collapsed.

Meanwhile, Sudan recorded 102 new cases and five new deaths of cholera in five states, bringing the number of total infections and deaths to 1,223 and eight, respectively, the statement said.

Flooding is a recurring problem in Sudan, typically occurring between June and October. Recent severe rains have resulted in significant loss of life and damage to agricultural land, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since the war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023, epidemic diseases such as cholera, malaria, measles and dengue fever have spread, leaving hundreds dead.

On August 17, Sudan's Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim officially declared a cholera outbreak in the country.

The deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF has resulted in the loss of at least 16,650 lives.

An estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan, with nearly 2.2 million others seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, according to most recent UN data.

Heavy rain on Saturday flooded the Arbat area north of the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, causing the Arbat Dam to collapse and wash away entire villages.

Hundreds of residents fled to mountain peaks to avoid the danger of the floods while others remained trapped in villages, according to the Sudanese daily Al-Taghyeer.

The dam was constructed in 2003 to capture rainwater for use during the dry season, but it has not undergone regular maintenance for several years.