Sudanese government sounds flood alarm as the Nile rises

After two weeks of torrential rains and dozens of deaths across the country, the Sudanese government has issued flood warnings to those living along the Nile river.

The Nile river levels rose quickly after from the Ethiopian border after non-stop rain in the neighbouring country.

“The Blue Nile rose due to heavy rains in Ethiopia. We warn residents around the Nile to be vigilant,” the Interior Minister Mohameddine Aboulqassem told AFP.

He said 76 people had died in floods across Sudan last week.

UN aid agencies have also warned against the risk of floods in Sudan between July and November.

Torrential rains and flooding affected over 122,000 people and destroyed more than 13,000 homes since June in several parts of Sudan especially Kassala, the Sannar, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and North Darfur, the Office for the Coordination of UN Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a statement on Wednesday.

The Blue Nile originates from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and meets the White Nile in Khartoum which runs through to Egypt and into the Mediterranean.