Devastating Dam Burst: Eastern Sudan in Crisis After Torrential Rains

A dam collapse triggered by torrential rains has devastated 20 villages and killed at least 30 people in eastern Sudan. The calamity has exacerbated conditions in a region already suffering from civil war. Floods have destroyed crucial infrastructure, and rescue operations are underway amidst a worsening humanitarian situation.

Surging waters have burst through a dam, wiping out at least 20 villages and leaving at least 30 people dead, with numbers expected to rise, in eastern Sudan, the United Nations reported on Monday. The disaster has devastated a region already grappling with months of civil war.

Torrential rains caused floods that overwhelmed the Arbaat Dam, located just 40 km (25 miles) north of Port Sudan, on Sunday. This city serves as the de facto national capital, housing the government, diplomats, and aid agencies, along with hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

The head of the water authority for Red Sea state, Omar Eissa Haroun, communicated via WhatsApp that the area is unrecognisable, with destroyed electricity and water pipes. A first responder reported that up to 200 people were missing, and the dead included gold miners whose equipment was also wiped out. Comparisons were drawn to last year's devastating floods in the Libyan city of Derna.