Tens of thousands affected by heavy flooding in Kassala

Between 300,000 and 364,000 people have been affected by severe floods in Kassala, eastern Sudan, with damage ranging from flooded ground floors in buildings to homes being submerged or washed away, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported. The flooding was caused after the river Gash - which runs through the city - burst its banks following heavy rains this week. Flooding caused the river to break through barriers erected in 1988 to protect the city, allowing it to take a new course right through the centre of the town. Most of the affected were sleeping outside on high ground to avoid the water, and there were continuous reports of missing people, on top of four confirmed deaths, the IFRC said. The Sudanese Red Crescent, NGOs, UN agencies and local government officials were trying to rescue hundreds of people cut off by floods, it added. At least 600 buildings have been swept away and a key bridge in the city submerged, effectively cutting Kassala in half. The floodwaters, which rose to a reported 2.7 metres, have inundated the city including the central market, the university, two bridges, government buildings, the railroad and at least three residential areas. The hospital and a boarding school in the city have also been evacuated and the offices of some humanitarian agencies abandoned. The water supply system has also been damaged, leaving no source of clean water, and all communication channels including cell phones remain down. The airstrip is still functioning, however, allowing relief items to be airlifted to the area. Initial needs were thought to be shelter, food and medicines, the federation reported. It is anticipated that the situation will get worse in the coming days as the Gash river continues to rise, fed by inflows from the Eritrean highlands, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday. There are no reports of flooding on the Eritrean side of the border. In a separate development, preliminary reports indicated that on Wednesday a severe storm had struck the coastal town of Sawakin, 80 km south of Port Sudan in the Red Sea state, OCHA reported. Over 500 houses were reportedly destroyed, affecting an estimated 2,000 people.