Red Cross Red Crescent step in to assist flood victims in Sudan

By International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Red Cross Red Crescent step in to assist flood victims in Sudan
Red Cross Red Crescent step in to assist flood victims in Sudan

GENEVA, Switzerland, August 8, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The International Federation of Red cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Sudanese Red Crescent have come to the aid of thousands of Sudanese nationals affected by flooding in the country's Khartoum and River Nile states.


The Sudanese Red Crescent has confirmed that at least 11 people have lost their lives in the floods. Damage has been widespread with at least 11,779 households (80,309 individuals) displaced: 7,376 homes have been completely destroyed and 4,403 households have seen their homes partially damaged. All branches of the Sudanese Red Crescent are involved in carrying out rapid assessments to establish the magnitude of the flooding and identify the ongoing needs of the people affected.


“The Sudanese Red Crescent staff and volunteers, headed by Secretary General Osman Gafar, have turned around what might have been a terrible Eid celebration, giving hope to thousands through the relief distribution the day before Eid,” said Aisha Maulana, the IFRC's country representative in Sudan.


The Sudanese Red Crescent is coordinating its activities with other stakeholders at national and state level. Some 700 volunteers from the Red Crescent's Khartoum branch alone have been deployed to carry out evacuations, provide psychosocial support and offering first-aid services to the affected population. With support from the civil defence, the volunteers have been evacuating people to higher ground, where they are receiving food and non-food relief items. So far, 1,000 households, or 5,000 people, in Khartoum state have received relief items from the Red Crescent stocks that were provided by UNHCR.


The Red Crescent has mobilized an additional 1,500 volunteers to assist with the emergency response. So far, 2,000 tarpaulins, sleeping mats and hygiene kits have been distributed to affected people. A further 300 tents from the Red Crescent's own stocks have been deployed to serve as mobile health clinics.


The Sudanese Red Crescent and the IFRC are preparing to launch an emergency appeal to assist the flood-affected families. The appeal will support the worst-affected states, including Khartoum and River Nile. Assistance will include non-food items, water and sanitation and hygiene interventions, and emergency health care.