 | |
| Date | May–December 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Sudan |
The 2022 Sudan floods saw the figure for flood-affected people in Sudan had exceeded the figure for 2021, rising to 314,500. [1] From 2017 to 2021, there were 388,600 people affected by floods annually. [1]
| | |
| Date | May–December 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Sudan |
The 2022 Sudan floods saw the figure for flood-affected people in Sudan had exceeded the figure for 2021, rising to 314,500. [1] From 2017 to 2021, there were 388,600 people affected by floods annually. [1]
Since May 2022, the north-eastern African country of Sudan has been in the rainy season. The rainy season in Sudan usually starts in June and ends in September. Peak rainfall and flooding is between August and September. [1] The level of the Nile has risen rapidly to the highest level of the last 70 years because of the persistent heavy rains. [2] The Nile level continues to rise and reached a crucial phase in the capital Khartoum. As of 23 August, the level of Nile stands at 16.42 meters, where the critical stage is 16 meters and flooding 16.5 meters. [3] According to reports, more than 4,800 livestock have been lost and nearly 5,100 hectares of land have been damaged or destroyed. This could lead to food production being hampered and contributing to high food prices and lead to a deterioration in food security, exacerbating an already perishing food emergency. [4] [5] Torrential rains destroy the roads to rural areas, cutting off supply lines in need of humanitarian assistance. [6]
Alongside the floods, Sudan is in a situation of political turmoil and economic crisis, among other things. The government was taken control of via military coup by Sudanese military, which is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on 25 October 2021. [7] More than hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since this military coup, with severe political, economic and social crises, heavy rains and floods occurring at the same time. The army was compelled to dissolve the transitional government of Abdalla Hamdok, in order to help reduce human casualties and economic losses. [8] But floods and coups still seriously exacerbate Sudan's economic crisis.The flood has contributed billions of dollars of economic damage to the people of Sudan. [8] [9]
The effects of flooding have been vast, hitting 16 of Sudan's 18 states, with South Darfur, Gedaref, Central Darfur, White Nile, and Kassala being the worst hit. [10]
The physical impacts of flooding vary from place to place and include:
Flooding occurring from May to 20 October 2022 has resulted in 97,227 newly displaced individuals (54% of whom are women) with the highest figures in Gedaref (35%), North Darfur (17%), South Darfur (13%) and River Nile (10%). [15]
IDPs are staying in a variety of temporary housing solutions: erecting shelters close to their previous homes in areas with less damage, staying with others, sheltering in schools (where still standing), others are sleeping in the open air. [16] [14] [11] [17] [13]
Sudan has a high population of refugees (1.1M) and IDPs (3.7M). [18] Between January and September 2022, inter-communal violence and armed attacks (which is ongoing) caused the displacement of more than 211,000 people. [19] Therefore, many of those displaced by the floods were already IDPs. [16]
South Darfur has the highest concentration of individuals in need, totalling 1,703,267 IDPs, refugees, returnees and other vulnerable people. [20] The state hosts 1.1M IDPs and 30 IDPs camps. [20] Flooding at the Kalma IDPs camp (population: 126,200) has made drinking water unsafe due to contamination and spoiled food stocks. [21] Homes, WASH facilities and school structures were also damaged. [21]
Contaminated water, overcrowded shelters, displacement, and inadequate sanitation can all arise following floods, but public health initiatives can stop these things from happening. [22]
Overall, there is not a lot of definitive data on post-disaster disease and the literature and reporting on this is poor. However, conclusions can be drawn from a compilation of other relevant reports in most cases. Floods exacerbate acute episodes of chronic and non-communicable diseases as well as the management of these conditions. [22] The availability of personal and medical services is impacted by disasters, which has an impact on the management of chronic and non-communicable diseases as well as the continuity of care. [23] The majority of mortality studies' findings mirror this, and it may be linked to a rise in the number of persons seeking medical attention. For the post-disaster era, it is crucial to establish the care requirements for those with chronic or non-communicable diseases as well as the anticipated disease burden.
The 1999 Vietnamese floods occurred in late October 1999 when Vietnam experienced the worst flooding in forty years. Tropical Storm No. 9 first appeared in heavy rain from 18 to 20 October, hitting the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Danang, Quang Nam in Vietnam. The rain was the first in a series of rainstorm events that lasted for two to three weeks.
On 3 July 2007, flash floods during Sudan's rainy season devastated much of the country's central, southern, and western regions. The Sudanese government referred to the floods as the "worst in living memory".
Sudan is still one of the largest countries in Africa even after the split of the Northern and Southern parts. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the region and is home to over 37.9 million people.
The May 2004 Caribbean floods was a flood event that affected the Caribbean Islands and Hispaniola from May 18, 2004, to May 25, 2004. Moving quickly from Central America, a low-pressure storm system brought heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic resulting in rainfall amounts exceeding 500 mm within a 7-day period. Cities in flood-plain areas like Mapou, Haiti, and Jimani, of the Dominican Republic, experienced over 250 mm of rain between May 24 and 25, causing the Solie River to overflow, resulting in devastating environmental and infrastructure damage. With hundreds dead and thousands more displaced in Mapou and Jimani, the death toll was at its highest in decades, partly because of deforestation. Steep valley ridges and barren hillsides channeled rainwater towards valleys, creating landslides that overwhelmed and flooded cities particularly in high-poverty areas where buildings were wooden or makeshift temporary homes. In addition, inhabitants residing on these flood plains were subject to increased risk from water-borne diseases due to inadequate waste removal management and contaminated water supply due to excessive debris caused by flooding.
Abdul Wahid Mohamed al-Nur is the leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement faction.
The January 2012 Fiji floods was serious flooding which occurred from January 21 to February 12, 2012, with heavy rains causing flooding to hit Vanua and western Viti Levu. Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki were the worst affected areas. The damage caused by this flood to all institutions including the government was FJ$50,047,344.00. Many infrastructure utilities and agricultural sectors were damaged.
Continuous and heavy rains in much of Sudan, starting in early August 2013, resulted in flood damage in at least 14 of 18 Sudanese states. Over 300,000 people are reported to have been affected, with over 25,000 homes reported destroyed. Government agencies report that nearly 50 people have been killed.
Severe storm hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan on the night of 26 April 2015. It caused considerable damage in the cities of Peshawar, Nowshera, and Charsadda. The storm featured heavy rains accompanied by hail and high-speed winds of over 120 kilometers per hour. As a result of the storm's damaging effects, 45 people were killed and over 200 were wounded.
The 2017 Southern Thailand floods are the biggest floods in over 30 years in the southern part of the country during the regional annual monsoon season, which is distinct from other parts of the nation and mirrors that the Malay Peninsula. Between December 2016 and January 2017, Southern Thailand experienced a devastating flood disaster. The bulk of the 15 provinces in Southern Thailand were affected, and this flood event stood out from earlier flood catastrophes due to the massive, long-term damage it produced. Since around December 31, 2016, there have been abnormally significant rains for that time of year. According to the Meteorological Department, thunderstorms and strong winds continued to affect the southern regions. The amount of water in the Nan River, which flows through the Taphan Hin and Bang Mun Nak districts of the capital city of Phichit Province, rose at an alarming rate. This is the second deadly flood in a month in southern Thailand. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) of the Ministry of Interior estimates that there were 95 fatalities and 1,815,618 total victims in the 13 prefectures that were affected by the disaster. 4,314 road segments, 348 bridges, 126 weirs, and 2 sluices were among the destroyed infrastructure items. The extensive area of heavy rain and the simultaneous occurrence of numerous dam breaks severely damaged the local logistics infrastructure. While gum and palm oil help some regions' economies, others, like the extremely underdeveloped territory bordering Malaysia, are socioeconomically unstable. In these situations, the government made efforts in disaster restoration works by utilizing the military in a way that had never before been done for this purpose. Some 120 billion baht in damages are foreseen as of mid-January, much of this due to lost production in agriculture tourism and infrastructure. Rubber supply is particularly impacted. Particularly hard hit are palm and rubber plantations.
Twic County is an administrative area in Warrap State, South Sudan. The area has been destroyed by extreme weather, ethnic violence, diseases, and malnutrition.
The 2019 Burundi landslides were a series of rapidly occurring natural disasters in 2019. On December 4, 2019, less than two months after the October celebration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), heavy rains precipitated the deadly series of landslides that followed later that night into the next day, affecting a total of 9,935 people in Nyempundu, Gikomero and Rukombe of the northwestern provinces of Cibitoke, bordering Rwanda, and Bubanza as well as the northeastern province of Cankuzo. At least 27 people died and 10 remained missing per the December 11 human toll. Seven injured persons were admitted into Cibitoke referral hospital, six of whom were discharged while the seventh was transferred to the Kigobe hospital managed by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders-Burundi (MSF-B). Significant property damage was incurred as well, leaving 1,081 people of 206 households displaced.
The 2020 Yemen flood was a flash flood that killed at least 172 people in Yemen and damaged homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites across the country, officials said.
A series of flash floods occurred in Afghanistan beginning in June 2020, with the largest and most impactful flood occurring on 26 August 2020. They were caused by torrential rain in Charikar, Parwan Province. The August floods killed at least 179 people and injured 212 others, and destroyed hundreds of houses. The Ministry of Disaster Management has also reported some casualties and destruction of infrastructure in the provinces of Kapisa, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, Panjshir, and Paktia.
In September 2020, profuse and continuous rainfall in Sudan caused a devastating flood across 17 out of the 18 states Sudanese states with the Blue Nile reaching water levels not seen for nearly a century. It ranks among the most severe floods recorded in the region. A state of emergency was declared, and teams have worked to prevent damage to threatened archaeological sites. The flood affected more than 3,000,000 people, destroyed more than 100,000 homes, and left more than 100 people dead.
In 2021, Niger has been affected by subsequent floods due to heavy rains, causing several deaths and widespread damage nationwide. Niamey is the most affected area. At least 62 people died, 60 were injured and 105,690 individuals have been affected by the floods. Most fatalities were reported in Maradi Region with 18 deaths.
From January 31 to February 1, 2022, heavy rainfall impacted Ecuador, which caused multiple landslides, floods, and mudflows. It was caused by the country's biggest rainfall in nearly 20 years, which fell on the capital.
Beginning in May 2022, deadly floods hit northeastern India and Bangladesh. Over 9 million people in both countries have been affected, and around 300 people have been killed.
The 2022 Adamawa State flood was a natural disaster that occurred in Adamawa State, Nigeria, in September 2022. It affected over 30,000 square kilometers of land and exposed about 6.6 million people to potential risks. The flood was caused by heavy rainfall and increased water flows from the Cameroonian highlands. It resulted in 25 deaths, 58 injuries, and the displacement of 131,638 people. It also submerged 153 communities and damaged houses, farmlands and other properties. The flood highlighted the vulnerability of the region to such events and the need for better preparedness and mitigation measures.
