Seasonal floods destroy over 2,500 homes in eastern Sudan

Deadly seasonal floods have collapsed more than 2,500 houses in eastern Sudan, state news has reported, adding that the situation has displaced thousands in the region.

Another 546 houses were partially destroyed by torrential rains in River Nile province, SUNA news agency said late on Thursday.

Since the start of the rainy season in May, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 38,000 people have been affected by floods in the East African country.

So far, the hardest-hit areas are Kassala, South Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan, White Nile, and River Nile provinces.

The total number of casualties nationwide is still undetermined. On Wednesday, SUNA reported that two children were killed when floods destroyed their homes in Central White Nile province.

Earlier, OCHA said at least six others died and an unconfirmed number of people were injured when their homes collapsed or were washed away by floods in Central Darfur province.

About 2,800 houses were destroyed and more than 1,620 houses were damaged in the same province, according to an OCHA statement released Monday. Last month, the U.N. said flash floods killed another 12 people in South Darfur.

Sudan's rainy season usually lasts until September, with floods peaking between August and September. In 2021, more than 314,000 people were affected by the rains and floods in Sudan, according to the United Nations.