Sudan's River Nile state flooded as Blue and White Nile waters rise

Devastating floods in Sudan’s Nile State have killed more than 30 people and left thousands of others stranded. 

Authorities say flooding of the Blue and White Nile rivers has destroyed hundreds of homes and worsened the country’s already dire humanitarian situation. 

Residents describe a night of terror as floodwaters surged through homes and farmland.

"We were surprised by the floodwaters," says Ramadan Ali. "We were asleep, and at around 1:30 in the morning, the floods arrived. We woke up, we couldn't find a way to combat this massive amount of water. The amount is massive and we couldn't battle it late at night. But we are currently working to drain it. Our situation is truly terrible, really terrible. Everyone here is suffering right now, honestly.”

A lack of equipment and resources has frustrated local initiatives to mitigate the damage, while heavy rains continue to hinder movement and rescue efforts in some low-lying areas.

Other states hit by flooding include Blue Nile, Al Jazirah and Khartoum. 

In River Nile state, residents say the disaster could have been avoided.

"Heavy rains fell, but planning errors by the Abu Hamad locality, in River Nile State, are the cause of this disaster," says Abdul Sami Hussein. "They planned animal pens and shops in the floodwaters, and these people ended up in the floodwaters, and what we see happened.”

Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation had earlier identified six states at significant risk of Nile flooding this year, including Gezira State and Khartoum. Authorities have called on citizens living in vulnerable areas to take all necessary precautions.

Egypt, which has also seen flooding in the Nile Delta, is pointing the finger at Ethiopia. Cairo says its newly opened dam on the Blue Nile, near the border with Sudan, is responsible for rising water levels. Addis Ababa has denied releasing excess water and says the dam has helped reduce the flooding