Sudan braces for health crisis after deadly flooding

Heavyrains and floods have killed at least 62 people and injured 98 others in Sudan since July, the Health Ministry said. The disaster has affected almost 36,000 families in 17 of the volatile East African nation's 18 states, acting Undersecretary of Health Sulaiman Abdul Jabbar told reporters late Sunday in Khartoum. "Some 22,676 houses were completely destroyed, 13,074 houses partially collapsed, 8,780 toilets collapsed, 3,636 livestock are dead and 150 public facilities are affected," Jabbar said.

Rainfall continued yesterday in Sudan, which is in midst of a rainy season that is expected to last until October. With more rainfall forecast, the U.N. was concerned by the high likelihood of more flash floods, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

Southern White Nile State has suffered most from the floods, with more than 66,000 people affected and more than 13,000 houses destroyed or damaged, according to OCHA. Crucial infrastructure, such as water access points, schools and latrines have been damaged and roads have become impassable, cutting off entire villages and communities, the organization said. Loss of livestock may aggravate already rising food insecurity, OCHA added. An estimated 5.8 million people are severely food-insecure in Sudan, according to the U.N., two million more than the previous year.