PORT SUDAN: At least 30 people were killed in northeast Sudan after the collapse of the Arbaat Dam in the Red Sea state due to flooding, the United Nations’ humanitarian office has said. The Arbaat Dam, located about 38 kilometers (24 miles) northwest of Port Sudan, succumbed to the heavy rains that have plagued Sudan since last month.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the collapse occurred on Sunday and resulted in at least 30 fatalities. The UN office, citing a government delegation, noted that the number of casualties could be higher, as scores of people are reported missing or displaced.
The flooding caused by the dam’s collapse has severely impacted up to 50,000 people residing in areas west of the dam. OCHA reported that around 70 villages in the vicinity have been affected, with 20 villages completely destroyed by the flash floods.
Sudan has been experiencing severe flooding and heavy rains throughout the year. According to the Sudanese health ministry, a total of 132 people have died due to flooding and heavy rains across 10 states, with the most significant damage observed in Northern and River Nile states.
The collapse of the Arbaat Dam adds to the dire situation in Sudan, which has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023. The fighting between the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has caused extensive damage to the nation’s infrastructure.
The infrastructure in Sudan, already fragile before the outbreak of war, has been further degraded by the conflict. Both warring sides have been accused of targeting civilian facilities.
