Hundreds missing after flood surge in war-torn Sudan bursts dam

Scores of people are dead and hundreds missing after a major dam burst in war-torn Sudan, after weeks of torrential rain and flooding.
The Arbaat dam, which burst on Sunday, is about 25 miles north of Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea that has been the de facto base of the government and aid agencies since the outbreak of civil war in April last year. The port is the main source of much-needed aid deliveries.
While the death toll is still unconfirmed, officials and local news sites gave different figures ranging from about 30 to 60 people dead. Meanwhile, one first responder told the Reuters news agency that up to 200 were missing.
Since the onset of the rainy season in June, more than 50,000 families have been affected by flooding across 16 states, according to the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Some 118,000 had been displaced, it said before the dam burst.
The dam is the main source of drinking water for Port Sudan. Its collapse could lead to water shortages, experts warned.
Sudan is already dealing with a cholera epidemic as well as a hunger crisis and aid agencies have said that famine conditions exist in some parts of the Darfur region. According to the World Food Programme, 25 million Sudanese face acute hunger.
Conflict broke out in the resource-rich country 16 months ago after a falling out between the army and a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The two had been allies after staging a coup.
• ‘My dark skin is a death sentence in Darfur’
Government forces are led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while the RSF are led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
The RSF grew out of the remnants of the notorious Janjaweed Arab militia, which is accused of genocide and war crimes during the war in Darfur about 20 years ago. The UN has warned of a repeated risk of genocide in the current conflict.
The brutal fighting has also triggered a huge displacement crisis. More than ten million people have fled their homes since fighting began, many crossing the border into neighbouring Chad.
Foreign powers are accused of backing different factions. Russian mercenaries are believed to be supporting the RSF, while there are reports that Ukrainian fighters are helping the army.
Multiple attempts at peace talks have failed, including US-led negotiations in Geneva last week.