: Floods, Nationwide State of Emergency Flash Update No. 6 as of 6 September 2020

KEY POINTS

• The floods have killed 99 people and injured another 46. Half a million people are affected and more than 100,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed, according to the government. • The Government of Sudan, on Friday 4 September, declared a three-month, nation-wide state of emergency in response to the flooding, and the Sovereignty Council established a higher committee to mitigate and address the impact of the floods of 2020. • The committee is headed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and includes all ministries, the states, and coordinating authorities as well as local, regional and international response organizations. • Heavy rains, upstream of River , in Ethiopia, have caused river levels to rise, downstream in Sudan. The National Meteorology Agency of Ethiopia reports that in the next ten days the rains are expected to continue.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Heavy rains continued in Ethiopia and several parts of Sudan during the preceding week. River levels are continuing to rise leading to more flooding, landslides, damage to houses and infrastructure. In total, 506,070 people have been affected in 17 of the 18 states, according to data from the Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC). Last week the Nile water levels reach 17.4m - the highest they’d been in 100 years and by Tuesday is forecast to rise another 30cm to 17.7m. Satellite-detected surface waters over , Al-Jazirah and states show that 500 km2 of land appears to be flooded. The rains have also caused damaged in the ‘non-nile’ states with being the worst hit where 73,360 people are affected.

NEEDS (based multisector assessments completed in the week ending Sunday 6 September)

Khartoum State Situation People affected by state Khartoum State is the most affected by heavy rains and flash flooding, with more than 100,000 people affected in Khartoum 102,757 seven localities (Sharq El Nile, Jebel Aulya, Karari, North Darfur 73,360 , Um Badah, Khartoum, and Bahri - Khartoum 65,095 North) according to the Government’s Humanitarian Aid 35,780 Commission (HAC). An 18-month-old refugee girl drowned 35,385 in a collapsed latrine in the Khartoum ‘Open Area’ site and Gedaref 32,290 eight South Sudanese refugees were swept away by the Aj Jazirah 29,325 Nile and are presumed drowned, including two children, 24,220 according to UNHCR. On 2 September humanitarian 23,555 partners conducted inter-agency assessments in 18,805 Omdurman and Jebel Aulya localities of Khartoum State to 17,435 assess the needs of people affected by heavy rains and 15,790 flooding. Northern 12,560 White Nile Omdurman locality: Government and local communities 11,020 report that 762 homes were destroyed and 1,273 homes Blue Nile 5,675 damaged in Southern Omdurman locality mainly in Al 3,200 Salha area (Al Qaia’a, Al Oshara, Al Sirew), and the - 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 villages of Um Owaina, Al Zurgan, Braka Alshat and Al Sulimaniya. Source: HAC

Needs The main needs identified include emergency shelter and household supplies, access to clean water, sanitation and health services, and drainage of, often contaminated, water. There is no access to clean water in the affected areas and many latrines have collapsed. Mosquito nets, vector control, medicine for scorpion and snake bites, medicine for malaria,

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Flash Update: Floods in Kenya | 2

and diarrhoea treatment are needed. Tents are needed for people whose homes were destroyed and about 90 per cent of those affected lost household items such as mattresses, blankets, water storage containers and kitchen utensils. Neighbourhoods and main roads are inundated and need to be drained.

Jebel Aulya locality: Five villages (El Assal, Um Rabah, Gamar, Wed Mukhtar and Um Garageer) situated along the White Nile at Jebel Aulya locality have been affected by riverine flooding on 27 August affecting nearly 46,000 people. About 1,500 homes have been destroyed and 570 damaged; more than 2,000 latrines have been damaged. People affected are being hosted by relatives and friends in the area.

Two primary health care facilities are operational and accessible to affected communities. No outbreak of diseases has been reported . Drinking water sources are contaminated and stagnant pools of water are found throughout the area.

Needs The main needs include emergency shelter and household supplies, access to clean water, sanitation and health services, and drainage of water. Also, a referral system needs to be set up to support Mulitosector needs assessment conducted community-based surveillance (CBS) to detect and 3 September 2020 in Al-a'asal village respond to possible disease outbreaks. The two Photo: OCHA/Mohammedi Ali health facilities also need medicines and medical supplies.

RESPONSE AND GAPS

Sudan declared a three-month national state of emergency in response to the flooding that has killed 99 people. The emergency proclamation was decided in a meeting of the Security and Defence Council chaired by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council.

HAC has activated and is leading a national Flood Task Force to coordinate the response with all partners. Government institutions, UN agencies, NGO partners, and the private sector are providing life- saving assistance to people affected.

South Darfur The local authorities in South Darfur reported that they lack emergency shelter and NFI stocks requesting humanitarian partners to assist in responding to the needs of the affected populations in Nyala town by providing non-food items. OCHA is working with SNFI Homes destroyed and property damaged by floods,stagnant sector to identify gaps and advocate for assistance. and contaminated water seen in Wad Mukhtar village on 3 September 2020 Photo: OCHA/Mohammedi Ali

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Flash Update: Floods in Kenya | 3

UNHCR 100 tons arrived Friday On 4 September, UNHCR delivered 100 tons of emergency shelter and non-food supplies, including plastic sheeting, blankets, and other items to Khartoum with the logistical support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government and support from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF). UNHCR will transport the relief supplies to the flood-affected families, IDPs and refugees in Darfur. Representative Axel Bisschop thanked the UAE government for the swift airlift.

Khartoum State The River Nile around the capital Khartoum has flooded farmland and neighbourhoods, including One hundred tons of UNHCR aid, transported with locations where urban refugees (most South assistance from the UAE Government, arriving Friday night Sudanese) are living. UNHCR and partners are at Khartoum airport. Photo: UNHCR responding to the emergency across the country with assessment missions, including in and Khartoum, after having distributed non-food items (NFIs) in different parts, including White Nile State. In Khartoum’s ‘Open Areas’, many South Sudanese refugees are living in make-shift homes and need shelter.

Blue Nile State WHO is supporting vector control campaigns in Bout town, Ed Damazine and El Roseires localities in Blue Nile State. These include the elimination of breeding sites and vector spraying. WHO is also supporting hospitals and mobile clinics with medicines and other medical supplies as well as covering some of the operational costs. The training of environmental personnel on water quality monitoring (WQM) started this week, with the focus on high-risk locations (big towns and villages) that witnessed high attack rates of cholera cases in previous years.

For more information, please contact OCHA Sudan: Emergency Flood Coordination, Deputy Head of Office, Tinago Chikoto, [email protected] Head of Communication, Alimbek Tashtankulov, [email protected] Reports Analyst, Nahla Zarroug, [email protected]

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs www.unocha.org/rosea | Twitter: @UNOCHA_ROSEA