Death toll stands at 30 after dam burst in eastern Sudan

The United Nations says its humanitarian partners and local authorities are assessing the affected areas after a key dam in eastern Sudan burst its banks.

The death toll stands at 30. Torrential rains caused flooding that overwhelmed the Arbaat Dam on Sunday.

The area north of Port Sudan is a base for the government, diplomats, aid agencies and hundreds of thousands of displaced people as a result of Sudan’s ongoing conflict.

The President of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, visited the flood-stricken areas of eastern Sudan yesterday.

Between 150 and 200 are reported missing and about 50 000 displaced.

The UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says, “Preliminary reports indicate the breach caused extensive damage in 20 villages downstream from the dam. Our humanitarian partners and local authorities are assessing the affected areas and will have additional clarity on the extent of the damage in the coming days. The Arba’at Dam is a crucial facility in Port Sudan, serving as a primary source of fresh water for the city. The reported damage is expected to have a substantial impact on water supplies to Port Sudan, worsening the humanitarian situation.”

The United Nations says its humanitarian partners and local authorities are assessing the affected areas after a key dam in eastern Sudan burst its banks. It left at least 30 people dead as torrential rains caused flooding that overwhelmed the Arbaat Dam.#SABCNews

— SABCNews_MorningLive (@MorningLiveSABC) August 27, 2024

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