Inside Africa: Sudan Struggles with Natural Disasters During Rebuilding Period
Turkish Red Crescent / Handout/Anadolu Agency
Sudan’s troubles keep coming. A country which has struggled with unemployment, economic sanctions and a new transitional government following last year’s end to former President Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule is now seeing thousands of its people displaced, more than 100 killed, by flash floods that have destroyed homes and businesses. The Sudanese government declared a three-month state of emergency in early September and designated the country a natural disaster zone. The Khartoum, Blue Nile, and River Nile states are reportedly hit the hardest, though some damage has been reported in Gezira, Gadarif, West Kordofan, and South Darfur. People have lost their homes and cling to whatever they were able to save while they wait for flood water to subside.
Flash flooding from the Blue and White Nile Rivers is generally expected every year during the season rains that typically last from June to October, though this year sets the record. As of early September, the Blue Nile rose 17.58 meters, approximately 57.5 feet. This beats the records set in 1946 and 1988 and continues to have a massive impact on the Sudanese already struggling. Everyone may typically be prepared for flash floods, but this year has proven to be more destructive and dangerous. Approximately 500,000 people have been displaced across 16 Sudanese states and more than 100 killed as the rest who remain deal with the ramifications.
The catastrophic flooding Sudan is experiencing today is largely attributed to climate change and a variety of both natural and manmade factors. The Nile, as it has for years, floods yearly with the region’s seasonal rains. Over the last couple of decades, however, the flooding has become more severe, more unpredictable, and much more harmful to the people who live around it. Some of this is due to climate change. The American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research states that the number of weather-related disasters has been on the rise around the globe with floods having the most impact. In 2018, more than 200,000 people were affected by floods that destroyed nearly 20,000 homes. An international call for food, shelter and medical supplies was sent out in order to assist those affected. The Sudanese government may have had some supplies and reserves ready in case of these dangerous scenarios, as climate change makes weather patterns and the local environment more volatile and less predictable, the government’s ability to adequately prepare for hazardous conditions is greatly hindered and leaves the Sundanese people at greater risk.
The flooding can not be entirely blamed on climate change. Man has had its own impact on the environment, adding further stress to the region and creating more opportunity for dangerous conditions to occur. Deforestation and all the environmental impacts associated with it contribute to the increasing dangers of flash floods in the region, as does a heightened demand for arable land to support population growth and a lack of policy to manage land usage. Both rural and urban populations seek out resources like wood for fuel and land for food production. The population boom has increased the demand for these resources, putting a greater strain on the local environment. Soil erosion along river banks because of construction in the area or deforestation can increase the risk of flooding and increases the risk to the thousands of people who live near the river bank, putting them in a position to potentially lose not just their homes, businesses, livelihoods, but also their lives.
Even further, the flooding proves to be an issue for public health and infrastructure. Water gets trapped because of poorly designed drainage systems, and the stagnant water can increase the risk of water-born illnesses. For example, stagnant water can draw in mosquitos, increasing the risk of malaria, an endemic disease in many parts of Africa. Without proper sewage systems, pollution and more health risks become apparent during these floods. Especially with this year’s record-breaking floods, Sudan has seen an increased need to look at these factors and work to address them through policies that could work to reverse some of the damage done to the land, reworking urban plans to prevent excessive damage caused by floods and increasing monitoring to provide an adequate warning system to prevent further loss. There could also be a greater need for support systems to be put into place to better respond to natural disasters like this year’s floods. According to Al Jazeera, many citizens who have lost everything have said that the government’s response has been lacking and many are simply waiting for the wreckage to dry out in order to begin rebuilding while waiting for medical supplies and additional support from the Sudanese government to come.
In dealing with the aftermath of this year’s deadly floods, Sudan faces many obstacles. The first, and most obvious, would be the COVID-19 pandemic that has left the global community scrambling to contain the virus and has caused massive economic problems for most countries. Sudan’s economy was already working to recover from three decades of political corruption during al-Bashir’s rule. He was ousted last year after protestors took to the streets against him. The newly instated prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, was tasked with rebuilding the economy and the North African country’s relationship with the global community, a job that has proven most challenging as Sudan seems to keep getting kicked while it is down. Hamdok is working to have Sudan taken off the terror list, possibly opening up the opportunity to draw in international investors. He has worked to make peace deals with rebel groups, making great strides toward stabilization, though the coronavirus and natural disasters could prove to be a problem in the long run.
