Dam bursts in war-torn Sudan, kills 60

At least 60 lives have been tragically lost following the catastrophic collapse of the Arbat Dam in war-ravaged Sudan, triggered by relentless downpours. This latest disaster only deepens the humanitarian crisis already gripping the region.

The Arbat Dam, situated in the Red Sea State, could not withstand the heavy rains, giving way and unleashing devastating floods that swallowed up farmland, entire villages, and vehicles in its path. This dam, designed to hold up to 25 million cubic meters of water, was a vital lifeline for Port Sudan, the city that also serves as the headquarters of Sudan’s military government. With its collapse, residents now face a critical shortage of clean drinking water, exacerbating the challenges of those already enduring the harsh realities of a civil war that has dragged on for 16 months.

As search and rescue operations intensify, the grim expectation is that the death toll could rise further. Frantic efforts are underway to find those who are still unaccounted for, as the disaster has left a trail of destruction in its wake. Eyewitness accounts paint a grim picture: local resident Ali Issa described harrowing attempts to save people trapped in seven submerged vehicles, efforts that were ultimately futile. Another witness, Moussa Mohamad Moussa, reported the obliteration of entire communities, saying, "All the houses and everything were swept away."

Adding to the chaos, a critical fiber-optic cable was damaged, severing communication lines across large swathes of the country. This outage has hampered coordination of rescue operations and left many remote areas cut off, deepening the sense of isolation for those stranded by the floods.

In response to the crisis, the Sudanese Air Force has been dispatched to rescue people who have sought refuge in the nearby mountains, as reported by local newspaper Merdameek. Meanwhile, Omar Issa Tahir, the head of the Red Sea State’s Water Authority, confirmed to the news outlet Akhbar that the flooding had obliterated the entire affected area.

Sudan's army chief, Abdul-Fattah al-Burhan, visited the devastated regions and issued an urgent plea on social media, calling for both federal and state agencies to mobilize immediately to provide relief to those in desperate need.

The unfolding natural disaster comes against a backdrop of turmoil that has plagued Sudan since April 2023, when hostilities broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army. The conflict has already displaced millions and triggered widespread famine, and now, these severe weather events are pushing the beleaguered population to the brink.