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Sudan Floods Kill About 59 People, Official Says |
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| SUDAN: July 27, 2007 | ||
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KHARTOUM - Flash floods and rains in Sudan have killed some 59 people and damaged 35,000 homes, Awad Widatallah Hussein, spokesman for the government's emergency response committee, told Reuters on Thursday.
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Officials described the floods as the worst in memory. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the floods could affect some 2.4 million people across 16 of Sudan's 26 states. "The river levels have exceeded those of previous years and many states have entered a critical stage, especially the Nile River state (in northern Sudan)," Hussein said. He said 12 states across the country had been affected by the floods that have left some 35,000 families homeless, more than 13,000 of them in Khartoum State alone. "The heavy rains and floods have destroyed 19,409 homes completely and caused partial damage to 15,643 homes," said Hussein. The floods destroyed more than 130 government buildings, health centres, police stations and schools, he added. Most roads linking Sudan and Egypt had been closed and major roads to some parts of the country and bridges had either been washed away or disabled. Hussein said the government was also renewing its appeal for people residing along flood paths to evacuate. The government had established alternative settlements with basic services in some areas, but most people, especially those living on islands refused to relocate. "And they are the most vulnerable," Hussein said. "Weather reports indicate that rainfall will be very high and the White Nile and Blue Nile will reach unprecedented levels," he said.
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Story by Simon Apiku
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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