STORY: Sudan braces for dangerous flooding amid escalating civil war, humanitarian crisis
SHOOTING TIME: July 22, 2024
DATELINE: July 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:42
LOCATION: Khartoum
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the flood in Aroma town, north of Kassala, east Sudan
2. various of the displaced residents in Aroma town
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ADAM AHMED ABU AMNA, Chieftain of Aroma town
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AHMED ADAM HUSSEIN, Resident of Aroma town
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMED ONUR, Resident of Aroma town

STORYLINE: 

As Sudan enters the rainy season, concerns are mounting that heavy downpours and flooding could exacerbate the country's wartime humanitarian crisis.

The Sudanese Meteorological Authority and World Meteorological Organization both predict an unusually rainy year for the country. These predictions raise fears of widespread devastation, particularly for areas already grappling with the effects of civil conflict.

Over the past few days, heavy rains caused significant damage in Aroma town, located 61 km north of Kassala, the capital of the eponymous state in eastern Sudan.

Local officials and residents reported to Xinhua that Aroma was flooded after a mud barrier collapsed. The flood destroyed dozens of homes in and around the town.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ADAM AHMED ABU AMNA, Chieftain of Aroma town
"The damage focused mainly on the city and its suburbs. The citizens have no access to any market to buy anything. There are no tents or other supplies. This is just the beginning of the rainy season."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AHMED ADAM HUSSEIN, Resident of Aroma town
"The destruction was huge. We've lost everything. The houses collapsed, burying all our belongings. Only we survived."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMED ONUR, Resident of Aroma town
"As you see, the rainwater has demolished the houses. The situation here is very difficult. Some houses have collapsed, while some were partially damaged. The rainwater is overwhelming and the condition of the people is dire."

Flooding is a yearly occurrence in Sudan, typically between June and October. Sudan ranks as the eighth most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the University of Notre Dame's Global Adaptation Initiative.

Fighting between Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary groups broke out in mid-April 2023 and has claimed at least 16,650 lives, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The fighting has also displaced millions of people and forced over 2.2 million to flee to neighboring countries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Khartoum.
(XHTV)