KHARTOUM, Sudan – The ongoing rainy season in Sudan has turned deadly, claiming at least 68 lives as torrential downpours continue to batter the country, already ravaged by conflict and instability. The interior ministry reported on Tuesday that the relentless rains have caused shelters to collapse and neighborhoods to flood, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in this war-torn nation.
The severe weather comes as Sudan grapples with an ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, which shows no signs of abating, has already created one of the world’s largest displacement crises, pushing the population into dire conditions.
Administrative hurdles, security challenges, and significant under-funding have led to “aid delays” in many parts of the country, making it nearly impossible to reach those in need.
The heavy rains, the worst since 2019, have impacted areas in the west, north, and east of Sudan, where 10.7 million people are currently displaced. Many of these individuals are living in camps, makeshift shelters, or stranded in open areas, exposed to the elements.
Among the hardest-hit regions are Famine-stricken Zamzam camp in North Darfur, home to 500,000 people, and the eastern states of Kassala and al-Gedaref, where thousands have fled RSF advances. These regions are now facing further devastation as floodwaters wash away what little remains of the residents’ homes and livelihoods.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), more than 44,000 people have been newly displaced by the ongoing rains since June 1. The floods have compounded the suffering of millions already displaced by the conflict, exacerbating the strain on local and international relief efforts.
“Families are losing what little they have left, and critical infrastructure has been washed away, disrupting vital humanitarian aid,” said Mohamed Refaat, IOM’s representative in Sudan, on Tuesday. Refaat added that 73,000 people across 11 of Sudan’s 18 states are currently affected by the floods.
Preliminary assessments suggest that over 12,000 homes have been fully or partially destroyed due to the heavy rains. Additionally, 198,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged, threatening food security in a country where hunger is already widespread.
The situation is particularly dire in the north-east of Sudan, where the rains have been the most intense, compounding the damage in areas already on the brink of collapse.
