Disaster Strikes Sudan: Dam Burst Amplifies Floods Amid Ongoing Conflict

Emergency responders are urgently searching for missing persons after the Arbaat Dam burst in eastern Sudan, killing 30 and exacerbating floods in a war-torn nation. The floods, due to heavy rains, have displaced 118,000 people, destroyed homes, and spread diseases. Aid delivery remains impeded amid the crisis.

Emergency responders were in a race against time on Tuesday to determine the number of people still missing after the Arbaat Dam in eastern Sudan burst due to intense flooding. The catastrophe, regarded as the worst in a series of floods this year, has killed 30 people, with the toll expected to rise.

The dam collapse on Sunday is the latest in a string of severe floods across the nation, already grappling with war-induced hunger and displacement crises. The floods have further complicated efforts to deliver much-needed aid, which has already been disrupted by clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

"Even before the dam burst, people were trapped by the flooding and couldn't get anything from Port Sudan. The aid coming in now can't reach the people," said Mohamed Othman, a leader from a flooded village. Across Sudan, 118,000 people have been displaced and over 300,000 affected as the floods destroy homes and spread diseases, including cholera. The catastrophic flooding has impeded food deliveries, devastating regions like Darfur, and isolating thousands of displaced individuals.

(With inputs from agencies.)