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EXTREME weather has affected around 50,000 villagers, leaving thousands homeless and two dead in the White Nile and Kassala regions of Sudan.
The on-going heavy downpour are wrecking roads, cutting off communities and making them hard to reach with aid, reports Plan International.
In the worst hit areas of Rabak, Elsalam, Tandlty and Guli homes, schools, farms and markets have been washed away.
“The current situation is expected to continue during the rainy season until November and many nearby communities are prone to disaster,” says Plan’s regional disaster manager Marko Lesukat.
So far, over 20,000 people have been reached and benefited from the distribution of plastic sheets and other aid.
“Many houses are surrounded by water and might fall with any increase in rainfall or strong wind.”
Aid workers also fear a combination of high stagnant water levels and mosquito breeding could lead to an outbreak of diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections and typhoid.
“Children and women are the most vulnerable – children’s education has been interrupted and their health is very fragile to these harsh conditions.
Their safety is also in a dire situation since the number of snake and scorpion pits have increased.
An emergency taskforce has been set-up by Plan in Sudan to coordinate the charity’s response, with tents and shelters already distributed.
In collaboration with other aid agencies, Plan is helping officials to boost coordination and speed of intervention to affected families.
“The heavy rain destroyed roads that lead to the affected communities and so we had to get information by telephone,” says Mr Lesukat.
“We immediately distributed food and water containers to help save and protect children.”
