The crisis in Sudan has evolved into a harrowing catastrophe threatening the lives of millions nationwide.

In a country ravaged by war for over 500 days, it is almost impossible to escape in one piece no matter where you go.

Those who have escaped the bullets, shelling and destruction are now either starving due to acute food shortages or falling prey to disease.

The Sudanese people’s suffering is exacerbated by a merciless onslaught of rains and floods that has engulfed numerous states, leaving death, displacement, chaos and disease in their wake.

Amid this turmoil, the warring factions in Sudan persist in their conflict, heedless of those grim realities. According to a Sudanese Ministry of Health report, floods and heavy rains have claimed the lives of at least 138 people, with the death toll from cholera climbing to 48 and infections reaching 1,223.

The report added that 10 states have been hit by catastrophic floods, affecting over 100 cities and villages nationwide. The ministry noted that the number of affected families has surged to 31,666, or 129,650 people. Fears are mounting that the number of people facing hunger in Sudan could rise to 40 out of the country’s total of 48 million.

In eastern Sudan’s Red Sea State, heavy rainfall over several weeks has triggered widespread flooding, creating disasters in many areas. The crisis has further intensified since the collapse of the Arbaat Dam, a vital source of freshwater for the Red Sea State, leading to death and destruction of property.

The dam was a reservoir for storing seasonal rainwater, instrumental in supplying water to Port Sudan, which has become the temporary capital following the takeover of Khartoum by the Rapid Support Forces after the outbreak of war on 15 April.

Local relief volunteers said the dam’s collapse resulted in the complete destruction of 20 villages and partial damage to 50 others. The floods have swept away homes and livestock, forcing people to seek refuge on the mountains. The Red Sea State Highway Administration announced the closure of the road connecting Egypt and Sudan due to severe damage caused by the floods in the Arous area at km 17 and 20, following the overflow from the collapsed Arbaat Dam.

In the Northern State of Sudan, heavy rains and floods have devastated 26,000 homes, submerging agricultural lands and obstructing roads as well as claiming 40 lives, injuring 3,000 people, and displacing over 100,000. Survivors are also facing scorpions, snakes, the risk of drowning and electrocution in the floodwaters.

The General Authority for Meteorology is forecasting additional heavy rains, thunderstorms, and strong winds in several regions of Sudan, including the northern states, the River Nile area, Kassala, Gedaref, eastern and northeastern North Darfur, Khartoum, the Blue Nile, and northern and southern Kordofan. The authority called on people to steer clear of structurally unsound buildings to ensure their safety.

In Darfur, where famine looms, floods are impeding the distribution of essential food and aid provided by the World Food Programme following the recent opening of the Adre border crossing to humanitarian teams. Sudanese sources estimate that the actual toll of casualties, damaged residences and affected people surpasses official figures, owing to disrupted communication and Internet networks. Concerns are rising regarding potential disease outbreaks stemming from floods and stagnant water in states teeming with displaced persons, compounded by the destruction of infrastructure and the healthcare system due to ongoing conflict.

Eyewitnesses recounted to Al-Ahram Weekly the immense hardships faced by displaced populations in Sudan amid floods, hunger, suffering, and bombardments. The dire repercussions of the floods are exacerbating the catastrophic aftermath of a brutal, senseless war that has spread to 14 of Sudan’s 18 states, claiming an estimated 150,000 lives according to Genocide Watch and the International Rescue Committee. Over 12 million citizens have been displaced, with more than 60 per cent of the population losing their primary sources of income.

Sudanese activists have accused the international community of complicity in the suffering and death of the Sudanese people.

War, famine and floods are devastating Sudan while the world remains inert, failing to address the hundreds of thousands of officially registered Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries under the United Nations’ purview.

The world’s silence on the unfolding crisis in Sudan is shameful. Until now, the international community has failed to honour its commitments made at the Paris Conference on Sudan, they said.

Fatma Mustafa, head of the Zainab Organisation for Development, told the Weekly that Sudan is currently facing the world’s largest humanitarian disaster in terms of displaced persons and refugees.

She took issue with the lack of attention of the international community, which should be rescuing millions of Sudanese refugees and displaced people from hunger, thirst, drowning, and disease. “Thousands of people, the majority being women, pregnant women, mothers, children and the elderly, have died due to hunger as a result of the failure to deliver aid,” Mustafa continued.

Sudanese activist Saadia Issa called on the international community, regional actors and all Sudanese factions to stand in solidarity with the Sudanese people grappling with a multifaceted crisis. She stressed the urgent need to provide aid, food, and medicine to millions trapped in a cycle of horror.

Issa condemned the warring parties’ use of starvation as a weapon, saying agricultural disruptions, instability, insecurity, and challenges in humanitarian operations due to resource scarcity, soaring prices, and fluctuating production, are all factors threatening the lives of the Sudanese.

Sudanese journalist Ikhlas Nimr too spoke of the catastrophic and agonising conditions in Sudan, including hunger, disease, war, floods, and shortages of essential medical supplies to combat venomous creatures like scorpions and snakes.

Halting the war is paramount as it is the reason for all the atrocities committed and perpetuates the humanitarian crisis. Without ending the conflict, agreed-upon humanitarian corridors from the Geneva talks will remain imperiled, placing lives in jeopardy.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly