Country: Sudan

Sudan witnesses flood almost every year, but this year, the floods were catastrophic due to the unprecedented amount of rain that fell, which some considered the highest in 100 years. To date, the floods caused the death of 103 people and injured 50 others. It affected thousands of families, including 438,000 children, and caused the total and partial collapse of more than 100,000 homes. Today, many of these families lack basic supplies, including food, water, and sanitation facilities. According to a statement published by UNICEF, the floods also destroyed 179 public facilities, including schools and health centers, damaged more than 350 shops and warehouses, and killed more than 5,500 head of livestock, which for many families is an essential source of livelihood.

On the other hand, as water levels begin to recede, the risk of contracting water-borne diseases, including cholera and malaria, increases, putting more people, especially children, who are most vulnerable to the disease, as a result of annual floods and acute malnutrition, to severe risk.

We, in ANECD, extend our deep condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, and we wish a speedy recovery for the injured. We are concerned about the short- and long-term impacts of this disaster on the development of young children, so we stress the importance of an immediate and well-managed intervention to support young children and their families, which might provide a buffer against these risks.