Aid shipments for tens of thousands of people affected by the collapse of Sudan's Arbaat Dam are proving to be far short of what is needed as the extent of the disaster becomes clearer, a Unicef relief officer told The National.
The dam's collapse on Sunday adds to Sudan's humanitarian crisis after more than 16 months of civil war that has claimed more than 40,000 lives, displaced 12 million people and pushed some areas to the brink of famine.
The dam is located about 40 kilometres north-west of Port Sudan, the country's main conduit for international trade that now serves as a hub for humanitarian operations after the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Suppourt Forces began fighting in April last year.
Its collapse after weeks of heavy rain caused at least 30 deaths, displaced tens of thousands and levelled dozens of villages. However, the real toll is expected to be much higher as authorities, NGOs and international relief organisations gather more information, according to Monib Mohamed, a Unicef public health officer and a team leader with Addition for Disaster Assistance and Development (ADD), a Sudanese NGO.
“The suddenness of the dam’s collapse and the fact that the affected villages are spread out over a large area has made collecting accurate data very difficult. We are working to provide an accurate count of the dead, injured and displaced,” Mr Mohamed told The National. “Unfortunately, many families are still reported missing and most of the victims identified so far belong to vulnerable groups, including the elderly.”
The UN estimated that around 50,000 people living on the western side of the dam have been severely affected, with the impact on the eastern side still being assessed.
Heavy rain has continued since Sunday, causing flooding that has made rescue operations difficult and added to the chaos as people search for loved ones, Mr Mohamed said after leading a team across flood waters to the Hadalweib area on Wednesday.
“We found the families there in a dire state – there is no trace left of their homes or villages. Even the trees have been uprooted by the floods,” he said.
“On our way, we encountered people desperately searching along the flood path for a four-year-old child who went missing on the first day of the disaster. It was heartbreaking.”
Drinking flood water
The UN said that a rescue helicopter was urgently needed to reach areas cut off by flooding. Residents of remote villages had fled to mountain areas around Port Sudan, while the floods had also damaged electricity and telecommunication infrastructure, making it difficult to reach or locate survivors.
Despite the difficulties, ADD, along with other local and international relief organisations, has managed to deliver food, medicine and 1,000 shelter kits, he said.
“Each kit contains essential items such as a full cooking set, three mattresses, three blankets, two water containers, a bucket, a solar-powered lamp, two mosquito nets, and a tarpaulin. They are designed to be portable and easily accessible to the beneficiaries,” Mr Mohamed said.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, which has been working with ADD in Sudan since 2022, sent 10 aid lorries, 1,000 food baskets and 1,000 shelter kits to villages around the dam, a representative told The National.
Mr Mohamed said the lack of clean drinking water was a major concern after at least 84 bore wells collapsed, and also the risk of stings from scorpions carried by the floods into populated areas.
“The most critical issue is the contamination of drinking water. The affected people are currently forced to drink flood water mixed with silt, which is highly unhealthy,” he said. “There is an urgent need for clean water supplies, anti-venom for scorpions, emergency lighting, and temporary shelters.”
However, ADD’s stocks of relief items would run out by Saturday, he said, by which time the real impact of the dam collapse will have become clearer.
“Every hour, the needs are increasing, and we are under immense pressure to provide relief to both conflict and flood-affected populations, making it difficult to prioritise one over the other,” he said.
Humanitarian access to conflict-affected populations has been a long-standing problem. The warring factions have so far only agreed to allow unobstructed aid shipments coming through the Adre crossing, a humanitarian corridor in western Sudan on the border with Chad. Two other crossings, an SAF-controlled one in the north and an RSF-controlled one in the south, remain disputed by either side.
Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
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Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Naga
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Results:
5pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600 metres
Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Saabah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Mukaram, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: MH Tawag, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) | Dh70,000 | 1,400m
Winner: RB Inferno, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Juthoor, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
