When the Nile Floods its Banks: Getting Help to Sudan
Unusually heavy rains have pounded Sudan in recent weeks, resulting in widespread flooding that has killed more than 100 people, forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and affected more than 800,000 people across the country.
The waters of the mighty Nile — so famous for its seasonal flooding — swelled to the highest level in decades, washing out homes and neighborhoods. Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum, was especially hit hard.
As images of flooded homes and children wading down city streets knee-deep in water hit the headlines, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance sprang into action.
Here’s how USAID and our partners are responding to the historic floods in Sudan:
Ramping up response efforts
USAID disaster experts on the ground in Sudan have been carefully monitoring the impacts of the floods and working with our humanitarian partners to assess needs and determine where and what assistance is required.
With USAID support, our humanitarian partners work year-round to prepare for Sudan’s rainy season by pre-positioning relief supplies and planning ahead. So when the floods hit, we were able to quickly ramp up response efforts in affected areas.
As the floods worsened, our partners began distributing critical relief items and hygiene supplies to hard-hit areas in Blue Nile State, and soon were providing emergency food, healthcare, and other assistance to flood affected communities throughout the country.
A partner in South Darfur also worked to repair infrastructure to prevent flood waters from engulfing a camp for people displaced from home by previous crises.
Airlifting additional supplies
In late September, as the floods continued to impact wide areas of the country, our disaster experts determined additional supplies would be needed to help affected communities. On September 19 and 20, 2020, three flights transported 55 metric tons of relief supplies from our warehouses in Pisa, Italy and Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Khartoum.
The airlifted supplies included 30,000 emergency blankets, 30,000 water containers, and 150 rolls of heavy-duty plastic sheeting to provide emergency shelter for 75,000 people — all critical in flood disasters to keep people safe and healthy and prevent the spread of mosquito- and water-borne diseases.
In Khartoum, the supplies were immediately handed over to our partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which got to work preparing to transport the supplies to areas affected by the floods.
Within days, IOM, working with Save the Children and other local partners, began distributing the critically-needed USAID relief supplies in some of the most severely affected areas in Khartoum and Sennar States.
To help protect people from COVID-19, our partners have been taking extra safety precautions, for example, by washing hands and using hand sanitizer, as well as practicing social distancing during aid distributions and providing guidance on safe hygiene practices to prevent the spread of disease.
The United States is the leading humanitarian donor to the people of Sudan and remains committed to helping the people as they face multiple crises, including severe flooding, widespread displacement, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and a deteriorating economy. In fiscal year 2020, the United States provided more than $275 million in humanitarian aid to the Sudanese people.
Learn more about USAID’s humanitarian response in Sudan.
The Center for International Disaster Information has tips on ways you can help people affected.
Follow USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.
