News item

Muslim Aid Sudan is responding to the floods in Gedarif state, providing cereal sorghum, cooking oil and sugar to over 3000 people in Mefaza town.  Many residents lost their homes, livestock and field crops to the floods. 350 mosquito nets were distributed to the most vulnerable, including pregnant women, children, sick and the elderly.

Muslim Aid’s mobile clinics are providing primary healthcare to 688 patients, most of whom were suffering from malaria and diarrhoea. Snakes and scorpions have resurfaced in order to survive the downpour meaning an increase in the number of those needing treatment for snake and scorpion bites.  

The main problem in the region is accessibility. The poor roads worsen during rainy seasons, cutting off the region from the rest of Eastern Sudan. As the consequences of climate change are being realized floods will become an evermore common occurrence. It is therefore vital that the already few number of NGOs operating in the Eastern Sudan organize themselves to plan how to provide effective flood relief in the future.

Hawa’s story

Surviving the floods with her 5 children, Hawa Abubakar Awadh tells of the moments she realised the floods had hit her home in Banat Village:

“It all started on the night of 27th July 2008. I was in my house with my five children and we had just eaten our dinner. There were heavy rains and thunderstorms throughout the night. We could not sleep at all. Then after a few hours we noticed water trickling into our house. I could hear other villagers whispering outside my house. I opened my door and I couldn’t believe it when I saw my entire compound was full of water. We all grouped together and headed towards the village market. I held hands of my 3 children and carried my youngest son on my back through the dark. The village elder led us to the banks of Rahad River and we used a canoe to cross and head towards Mefaza town. I am happy Muslim Aid has given me 2 mosquito nets, 5 kg sugar and 30 kg of sorghum. My children will be able to sleep without being bitten by mosquitoes, which is a big danger here.”

Two months later the village is still flooded and most of the houses are still submerged in water. Hawa Abubakar Awadh and her children have now sought refuge in Banat school. 200 families are currently living in different schools and have been unable to return home.