Millions needed to help Sudan
2003-08-12 11:07
Khartoum - Humanitarian agencies appealed on Monday for millions of dollars in aid for the victims of floods in eastern Sudan that have left thousands of people without home and sanitation.
In a press release, United Nations agencies such as Unicef and the World Food Programme said the Kassala region needed $8.6m (about R63.4m) worth of aid urgently as an estimated 13 000 houses had been damaged.
The statement described conditions in Kassala as "the worst flood damage in memory".
The floods stemmed from torrential rains that began late last month and caused the region's main river, the Gash, to burst its banks, flooding the city of Kassala. Patients in the local hospital had to be transferred to military and police hospitals outside the city.
The appeal says the inhabitants need food, health care, water, sanitation and shelter.
In a separate statement on Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said its first flight to the stricken region landed at the weekend. The aircraft carried a mass sanitation unit and basic relief material.
The floods have washed away the main road connecting Kassala to the capital, Khartoum, 400km to the west.
The annual flooding of Sudan's rivers often causes humanitarian crises.
- AP