More than 11,000 peopleincluding refugees and host communities in the eastern state of Kassala, are suffering serious damage from the bad weather over the past two weeks, the agency reported Friday. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The agency noted that refugees and internally displaced persons continue to suffer the consequences of an already dire humanitarian situation after more than a year of war, which has led to the tragedy of famine and It has now worsened due to the increasing impacts of climate change..
Heavy rains and flooding affect Tens of thousands of people across Sudancausing further displacement, injuries and deaths. The victims include many families who recently arrived after fleeing violence in Sennar State and took refuge in five meeting places and reception centres.
“Some have been displaced three or four times since the beginning of the conflict. They have lost their possessions, including their food rations, and have great difficulty accessing drinking water and sanitation facilities, which increases the risk of waterborne diseases,” said Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson, during a press conference in Geneva.
Hunger increases
The conflict has destroyed crops and disrupted livelihoods. The climate crisis makes displaced people even more vulnerable. Flooded lands prevent people from farming and grazing their livestock, increasing food insecurity and hunger in regions also affected by drought and conflict.
UN agencies and partners are doing everything they can to help the most vulnerable. In collaboration with state authorities, a new site has been identified where tents have been set up to accommodate affected families. The site is expected to accommodate some 800 families newly displaced by the floods.
UNHCR has already begun to build emergency shelterswith some 400 tents set up so far. Despite the incessant rains, at least 200 families have been relocated. The Agency also plans to distribute plastic sheeting to refugees to repair roofs damaged by the storms.
Displaced population arriving at the shelter area in Kassala, Sudan.
Extreme events
Since mid-April, heavy rains associated with El Niño have caused extreme weather events across East Africa, including floods, landslides, strong winds and hail.
In Sudan, further rainfall is expected in the east and west of the country. To mitigate similar impacts in other states, including Gedaref, White Nile and Blue Nile, UNHCR is pre-positioning relief items and shelter kits, clearing drains and building embankments to consolidate internal roads and protect camps and sites hosting displaced populations.
Epic needs in Darfur
Flooding in the Darfur region is also impacting the limited capacity of aid agencies to reach people in need. Humanitarian needs are reaching epic proportions in the region as Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain at risk and famine was recently confirmed in a place of displacement.
As the conflict spreads across the country, people continue to move in search of safety. To date, More than ten million people have been forced to flee their homesboth inside and outside the country.
While humanitarian agencies They expect the situation to worsen during the yearUNHCR has launched a regional appeal for $40 million to help internally displaced people and millions of refugees in neighbouring countries. But so far it has received only $5 million.
Fragile health situation
For its part, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) He warned that bad weather threatens the fragile health situation.
UNICEF recalled that the Cholera is usually detected in Sudan at the beginning of the rains“We already have suspected cases here in Kisala,” Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative in Sudan, told UN News in an interview.
Humanitarian agencies are mobilizing to launch a vaccination campaign“I met with the Minister of Health about an hour ago to discuss how we can carry out a vaccination campaign against cholera. Of course, there are other diseases as well,” Yett added.
As for the fight against malariaUNICEF is also working with partners and the government to provide mosquito nets and anti-malarial drugs. “One of the ironies of this conflict is that people are moving from areas that were relatively malaria-free, like Khartoum, to areas where the disease is much more prevalent,” lamented the UNICEF representative, noting that with this rainy season, there could be many more cases than in the past.
Despite the mobilization of humanitarian personnel, the war continues to limit access. “It is difficult to get a truck. New permits are requested all the time, there are bandits on the roads, gunfire, insecurity, it is extremely, extremely difficult,” he stressed, reiterating the call for a ceasefire and safe access to prevent a worsening of an already alarming humanitarian situation.
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