Concern over health as floodwaters recede

As floodwaters in northern Sudan recede, displaced communities are facing increased health risks from water-borne diseases and lack of clean water and sanitation, the IFRC reported Wednesday. “We fear the spread of disease and cases of eye and chest infections have begun to be reported,” said Spanish Red Cross relief delegate Joan Nadal.

IFRC international relief delegate Saraswathi Pasupathy described the situation on the ground as “desperate”. With the waters subsiding, people had returned to find their houses washed away, their crops destroyed, livestock dead and food supplies ruined, she said. Saraswathi said there was a strong possibility of additional flooding in early September. “We are worried that people will be hit twice by the floods,” she said. “Chances are that for those who do manage to construct some kind of shelter, they will lose it once again.”

In its fourth situation report on the flooding, UNOCHA reported on Wednesday that three people had died and 90,195 had been affected. Of the 10 states affected by flooding, River Nile, Sennar, Kassala, and South Darfur States had suffered the most, the report stated.