Sudan: Collapse of Arba’at Dam in Port Sudan, Red Sea State (26 August 2024) [EN/AR]

SUDAN: Collapse of Arba’at Dam in Port Sudan, Red Sea State

(26 August 2024)

HIGHLIGHTS

• On 25 August, the Arba’at Dam, located approximately 38 km northwest of Port Sudan in Sudan's Red Sea State, reportedly suffered extensive damage due to heavy rains.

Thirty fatalities have been confirmed by the local authorities. However, the number of casualties could be much higher.

• According to authorities, approximately 50,000 people living on the western side of the Dam have been severely affected, while the extent of the impact on the eastern banks is still to be assessed.
• Damage to the telecommunication network has made it difficult to gather more accurate information on the situation.
• Humanitarian partners and authorities are conducting assessments to establish the extent of the damage and address the urgent needs of the affected people.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On 25 August 2024, the Arba’at Dam, located approximately 38 km northwest of Port Sudan in Sudan's Red Sea State, reportedly suffered extensive damage due to heavy rains. Preliminary reports indicate the breach resulted in the dam reservoir being fully drained, causing extensive damage to life and property in about 20 villages downstream. According to authorities, up to 50,000 people living in areas to the west of the Dam have been severely affected. The Arba’at Dam is a crucial facility for Port Sudan, serving as a primary source of freshwater for the city. The reported damage is expected to have a substantial impact on water supplies to Port Sudan. Assessments by authorities and humanitarian partners are ongoing in some of the affected areas.

On 26 August, representatives from the Red Sea State government, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) Emergency Department, and the government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) visited areas to the west of the Arba’at Dam as areas to the east are inaccessible due to roads being cut off. Rescue teams on the ground are attempting to open these roads, according to authorities. The government delegation reported that about 70 villages around Arba’at Dam have reportedly been affected by the flash flooding of which 20 villages have been destroyed. Of the 13,000 families (65,000 people) living to the west of the Arba’at Dam, the homes of about 10,000 families (50,000 people) have either been destroyed or damaged. The affected people are in urgent need of water, food, and shelter assistance. The delegation also reported that 30 people were killed by the floods, but actual numbers are likely much higher; 84 boreholes have collapsed; 10,000 heads of livestock/animals are missing; and 70 schools have been either damaged or destroyed.

Additionally, reports indicate that scores of people are reportedly missing or displaced. The floodwaters, carrying significant amounts of silt, have led to the destruction of large areas of agricultural land and substantial damage to civilian infrastructure across the affected areas. Some residents of the villages downstream of the Arba’at Dam were reportedly forced to flee to the mountains for safety, while others were evacuated after floodwaters destroyed their homes and inundated the affected areas. Reports also indicate that floodwaters caused damage to telecommunication networks, water and power supplies, and road access in the impacted areas. Damage to the telecommunication network has made it difficult to gather more and accurate information on the situation, while damage to roads is making it hard to access the affected areas.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

On 26 August, humanitarian partners and authorities are working on deploying more teams to assess the damage and address the urgent needs of the affected people. The Sudanese authorities have deployed a team to conduct search and rescue. A helicopter is urgently required to assist with aerial assessment as some areas are impassable by road due to flooding. The same helicopter will be used to boost search and rescue efforts as some residents are reportedly trapped in the mountains where they fled for safety, while others are still marooned by floodwater. OCHA is liaising with partners, including UNICEF and WASH Cluster and authorities to deploy teams to support assessments and coordinate response on 27 August.