River Nile could displace one million Sudanese
Aug 19, 2007
The River Nile in Sudan is expected to continue surging until next month.
By Badru Mulumba
In Juba
The River Nile in Sudan is expected to continue surging until next month.
It could displace about one million people, according to the government of Sudan.
About 365,000 people have been affected by the floods, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
“Water levels at River Nile and its tributaries remained above the critical levels,†read a report issued by the Early Warning and Emergency Information Centre.
The water levels in almost all stations are steadily rising, following the seasonal trend and approaching the annual mid-August to end of September peak.
“As predicted by the government, impacts of floods are expected to endanger lives and livelihood of about one million people all over Sudan,†added the report.
“Close monitoring and preventive measures must be considered to avert expected adverse impacts of the floods.â€
The new warning came as the United Nations announced that the families hit by the floods had lost income, household goods and food.
“Many more are indirectly affected by the damage to local livelihood, and could be at risk in case of epidemics,†said David Gressly, the acting head of UNOCHA in Sudan.
The floods hit several states at the border between South and North Sudan destroying over 30,000 homes leaving at least 150,000 people homeless.
In its latest emergency alert, the UN office estimated that 53,000 more households (265,000 people) would be affected by new flooding over the coming weeks.
In Juba
The River Nile in Sudan is expected to continue surging until next month.
It could displace about one million people, according to the government of Sudan.
About 365,000 people have been affected by the floods, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
“Water levels at River Nile and its tributaries remained above the critical levels,†read a report issued by the Early Warning and Emergency Information Centre.
The water levels in almost all stations are steadily rising, following the seasonal trend and approaching the annual mid-August to end of September peak.
“As predicted by the government, impacts of floods are expected to endanger lives and livelihood of about one million people all over Sudan,†added the report.
“Close monitoring and preventive measures must be considered to avert expected adverse impacts of the floods.â€
The new warning came as the United Nations announced that the families hit by the floods had lost income, household goods and food.
“Many more are indirectly affected by the damage to local livelihood, and could be at risk in case of epidemics,†said David Gressly, the acting head of UNOCHA in Sudan.
The floods hit several states at the border between South and North Sudan destroying over 30,000 homes leaving at least 150,000 people homeless.
In its latest emergency alert, the UN office estimated that 53,000 more households (265,000 people) would be affected by new flooding over the coming weeks.