Sudan floods kill 14, destroy hundreds of homes

At least 14 people have died and hundreds of homes damaged after heavy rains and floods struck northern and southeastern Sudan, local authorities reported Wednesday.

According to the Sudanese state news agency SUNA, six people were killed in River Nile State in the north after their homes collapsed due to torrential rains, raising the death toll in the area to 10. In Sennar State in the south, a mother and three of her children died when a room in their house gave way.

Witnesses described towns and villages in River Nile State being washed away by floodwaters, causing widespread power outages and the collapse of dozens of buildings.

The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported that 154 homes were damaged in River Nile State, displacing more than 1,000 residents. The committee urged local authorities and humanitarian organisations to provide immediate assistance, including food, water, and shelter.

Sudan typically experiences heavy rainfall from June to October, leading to large-scale flooding in several regions each year.

The flooding comes amid a civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began in April 2023, which has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.

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