According to the United Nations, a dam burst in Eastern Sudan killed at least 30 people and left many more missing. Heavy rains forced the Arbaat Dam, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Port Sudan, to collapse. The resultant flooding destroyed almost 20 towns in a region already plagued by civil violence.

The dam burst in Eastern Sudan on Sunday caused enormous devastation in an area that has been embroiled in months of violence. “The area is unrecognisable.” “The electricity and water pipes have been destroyed,” stated Omar Eissa Haroun, the chairman of Red Sea state’s water administration. The actual scope of the calamity is still being determined, but indications indicate that 150 to 200 individuals, including gold miners, were missing when the river carried away their equipment.

Witnesses compared the destruction to last year’s flooding in Libya’s Derna when stormwaters smashed through dams, devastating entire neighbourhoods and killing dozens.

According to the United Nations, the flooding caused by a dam burst in Eastern Sudan has affected around 50,000 people, though this figure is likely to be higher because the area east of the dam remains inaccessible.

Officials reported that the dam had begun to crumble and that silt had accumulated amid days of torrential rain that came far earlier than usual. Sudan’s dams, roads, and bridges were in disrepair when the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Forces broke out in April 2023.

The Arbaat Dam was an important water source for Port Sudan, which serves as the country’s principal Red Sea port and a hub for relief delivery. With the dam burst in Eastern Sudan, the city is experiencing severe water shortages. “The city is threatened with thirst,” said the Sudanese Environmentalists Association. The dam was already in bad condition before the accident, with silt accumulation and infrastructure issues exacerbated by high rains.

As the battle drains resources, critical infrastructure deteriorates. The health ministry claimed that several residents escaped to the mountains after their homes were inundated and are now stranded.

According to the government’s rainy season task force, 132 people have died in floods around the country this year, leaving 118,000 displaced.

The battle in Sudan began with a power struggle between the army and the RSF. Despite international efforts for a truce, war persists, leaving half of Sudan’s 50 million people hungry, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe.

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