At least 60 people have lost their lives after the Arbat dam burst due to heavy rainfall in Sudan’s Red Sea state, further compounding the country’s ongoing crisis. Rescue operations are currently underway, but there are fears that the death toll could rise significantly.
The Arbat dam, with a capacity of 25 million cubic meters, was the main source of drinking water for Port Sudan, where the military government is based. The dam’s collapse is one of the worst incidents to occur in the region, devastating farms and villages downstream.
Sudan, already ravaged by 16 months of civil war, is now battling torrential rains and floods that have claimed dozens of lives and displaced tens of thousands. Local residents have recounted harrowing stories, including Ali Issa, who reported that seven cars were stuck in the floodwaters, with rescue efforts proving unsuccessful. Another resident, Moussa Mohamad Moussa, described entire areas being swept away by the flood.
The heavy rains have also damaged a major fibre-optic cable, leading to widespread communication outages across the country. The Sudanese air force has been deployed to rescue people trapped after seeking refuge in the mountains, according to local media.
Omar Issa Tahir, Director of the Red Sea state’s Water Authority, stated that the flooding had “wiped out the entire area.” Army chief Abdul-Fattah al-Burhan visited the flood-affected regions and, in a Facebook post, urged all federal and state agencies to provide immediate support to the affected citizens.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April of last year, when fighting erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army. The ongoing civil war has displaced millions and led to famine in multiple states. The recent extreme weather conditions are expected to worsen the already dire food shortages across the country.
