Sudan Dam Collapse Kills 60, Displaces Thousands as Flooding Continues
By The Media Line Staff
At least 60 people have died, and 70 villages have been impacted after the Arbaat Dam in eastern Sudan collapsed over the weekend due to heavy rainfall, officials reported on Monday. The dam, located in the Red Sea province about 24 miles northwest of Port Sudan, was the main source of drinking water for the coastal city, where the Sudanese military government has relocated due to ongoing civil war.
The collapse has also displaced 118,000 people, exacerbating what is already the world’s worst refugee crisis, with about 10 million people displaced since the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April last year. Local residents described the devastation, with entire villages and farms washed away downstream. “All the houses and everything was swept away,” Moussa Mohamad Moussa told reporters.
The dam’s destruction has further strained an already overwhelmed health care system, which the Sudanese Health Ministry reported has lost more than 75% of its facilities since the war began. In total, at least 132 people have died due to flooding and other weather-related disasters this season.
In addition to the flooding, the heavy rainfall has damaged a major fiber-optic cable, leading to widespread communication outages. Rescue operations continue, with the Sudanese air force attempting to reach those trapped in the mountains. The Sudanese military has called on all federal and state agencies to provide assistance to the affected regions as extreme weather continues to worsen food shortages and the humanitarian crisis.
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