Flash Floods In Sudan Kills 86 People

Illustration (Unsplash / Rachman Reilli)

JAKARTA - Flash floods that hit the capital of Khartoum, Sudan, killed 86 people. In addition, tens of thousands of houses were destroyed and many agricultural lands were destroyed.

This is the worst flood ever to hit Sudan. The disaster made many residents around Khartoum panic and fear. They worry that the volume of water carried by the flood will increase. In addition, these floods have also made the main roads in Khartoum inaccessible.

One resident of Khartoum, Ahmed Bastawy, said that throughout the night he had been trying to protect his house from further flooding. "The waters of the Nile flooded our house at midnight yesterday," he said.

"We have never seen a flood like this. The authorities gave us land and sacks, but we failed to block the water and the houses were destroyed," explained Bastawy.

Today, the average volume of one of the tributaries of the Nile, the Blue Nile, has reached 17.42 meters. This number is the highest since the policy makers started measuring the volume of river water in 1912.

Meanwhile, Head of the Flood Committee Abdelrahman Sughairun said Blue Nile waters would continue to rise in the coming days. Therefore, it is hoped that the Sudanese people will always be aware of the increase in water volume.

The government has promised to speak to Ethiopia soon about the use of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This is because if the dam starts operating, floods will not occur in the coming years.

"After the GERD dam has been filled, floods will not occur," said Sudanese Minister of Irrigation, Yasser Abbas while reassuring the Sudanese.