Sudan – A devastating collapse of the Arba'at Dam in Sudan's northwest Red Sea State has resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people, with hundreds more missing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The dam's failure, triggered by torrential rains, unleashed catastrophic flash flooding that decimated 20 villages and severely damaged another 50, affecting an estimated 50,000 people.
The flooding has wreaked havoc on the region, with preliminary reports indicating that nearly 27,000 homes have been destroyed and up to 31,240 homes have sustained damage. OCHA estimates that over 317,000 people have been affected by the floods and heavy rains across Sudan, including the displacement of approximately 118,000 individuals. The region surrounding the dam, already plagued by humanitarian challenges, is home to nearly 240,000 displaced people, compounding the crisis.
In the aftermath of the collapse, residents in the villages of Khor-Baraka and Tukar were forced to flee for safety. OCHA has warned that the final death toll could rise significantly as search and rescue operations continue.
Local residents have recounted the harrowing events. Moussa Mohamad Moussa, who lived near the dam, described how "the dam broke and… the water swept away around 40 people." Another resident, Ali Issa, recounted his efforts to rescue families, elderly people, and children trapped in their cars as floodwaters surged. "We came to the area to check out the situation but we couldn’t reach the Arba’at Dam because there was so much water," he said.
The dam, constructed in 2003 to capture rainwater for use during the dry season, is a primary source of fresh water for Port Sudan, the country’s fifth-largest city, located about 38 kilometers southeast of the dam. The collapse has drained the reservoir, exacerbating the humanitarian situation in Red Sea State. Sudan’s Federal Minister of Health, Dr. Haitham Muhammad Ibrahim, visited the region, promising emergency humanitarian assistance, including basic medicines, medical personnel, and resources to support evacuation efforts.
On Monday, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief and head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, visited Tokhar, an area devastated by the weekend’s storms but unaffected by the dam collapse. Footage posted to X by the council shows Al-Burhan speaking with residents of the town, located roughly 170 kilometers south of Arba’at.
Sudanese authorities have reported that the dam collapse and ongoing heavy floods have killed at least 132 people nationwide. The extent of the damage on the eastern banks of the dam is still being assessed, while authorities estimate that around 50,000 people living on the western side have been severely affected.
The situation in Sudan remains dire as the country grapples with the compounded effects of the civil war that erupted in April 2023 between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The conflict has claimed the lives of at least 12,260 people and injured over 33,000. Additionally, nearly 6.8 million people have been displaced, seeking safety within Sudan or in neighboring countries.
The UN Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is coordinating with partners, including the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the WASH Cluster, and local officials, to reach communities affected by the dam collapse. Despite several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi Arabia and US mediators, the violence in Sudan continues unabated, further complicating relief efforts in an already beleaguered nation.