Sudan, 18 Sep – Heavy rain and flash floods in several areas of Sudan have affected up to 530,000 people. Between 15,000 and 18,000 houses have been destroyed, with Khartoum being the most-affected state.
Nationwide flooding affected 270,000 last year. This year’s floods are being considered the worst since the historical marker of the 1988 floods. Darfur appears to be less impacted than initially thought but there are conflicting reports.
MapAction has been asked by the OCHA Sudan office to assist with mapping and information management support for the humanitarian response. A two person team was dispatched on the 18th September to assist. Liz Hughes said, ‘ these types of emergencies do not always hit the international headlines but they are just as capable of wreaking havoc and causing great levels of suffering to large numbers of the population. Accurate spatial analysis of the disaster, timely information and situation maps are crucial to helping the humanitarian community assist people when they need it.’