A United Nations agency said at the weekend that the Albert Dam in Sudan's eastern Red Sea state had collapsed and caused heavy rains to flood nearby homes, killing at least 30 people.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said late Monday, citing local officials, that the actual death toll from Sunday's collapse may be higher. In addition, about 70 villages around the dam were affected by flash floods, 20 of which were destroyed.
World forgets 'devastating' war in Sudan as Russia, Iran and other countries reportedly fuel fighting with weapons
The Albert Dam, about 38 kilometers (about 25 miles) northwest of Port Sudan, was severely damaged by heavy rains. In areas west of the dam, flooding destroyed or damaged the homes of 50,000 people – 77 percent of the total population living there. OCHA warned that affected people are in urgent need of food, water and shelter, adding that damage to the east of the dam was still being assessed.
A United Nations agency said the Albert Dam in Sudan's eastern Red Sea state collapsed over the weekend, flooding nearby homes and killing at least 30 people. (AP Photo)
OCHA quoted officials as saying the floods had caused more than 80 wells to burst, 10,000 livestock to go missing and 70 schools to be damaged or destroyed.
Heavy rains and floods across Sudan this month have affected more than 317,000 people, including 118,000 who have been forced to flee, worsening one of the world's largest displacement crises caused by the country's ongoing war.
Tuesday marks 500 days since Sudan was plunged into war after fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict began in the capital, Khartoum, and spread across Sudan, leaving thousands of people dead, destroying civilian infrastructure, pushing many to the brink of starvation, and forcing more than 10 million people to flee in search of safety, according to the United Nations.
“This is a shameful moment” for the international humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that for “more than 16 months, we have failed to adequately respond to the country's growing medical needs, from severe malnutrition in children to widespread disease outbreaks.”
“At the same time, severe restrictions imposed by both warring parties severely limit the ability to deliver humanitarian aid,” Doctors Without Borders said.
Click here to get the FOX News app
CARE's Sudan representative, Abdirahman Ali, warned in a statement on Tuesday that the war has left the health system “collapsed”, leaving “countless people without access to treatment”.
The World Health Organization estimated in July that more than 75% of the health system has been destroyed since the war began.
