Silver Spring, Maryland—The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is responding to the needs of flood survivors in Sudan, after extended heavy rains over the past several months have caused excessive flooding and the destruction of thousands of homes throughout the East African nation.

According to the United Nations, more than half a million people have been affected since the beginning of the rains in June 2007. The flooding has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and killed at least 150 people. Sudanese officials report an estimated $300 million in damages nationwide. As the rains continue, the risk increases for waterborne and water-related diseases, such as cholera, diarrhea, malaria, and dengue fever.

The aftermath of the heavy rains and flooding is expected to endanger the lives and impact livelihoods of people all over Sudan. "Affected communities will soon be running out of food and clean water," cautions Clement J. Arkangelo, associate country director for ADRA's South Sudan office. "Crops have been submerged under water and destroyed, which will affect this year's harvest and perpetuate the cycle of hunger."

"The floods are the worst in living memory," reports Vergiel Ramirez, country director for ADRA North Sudan. "Thousands of families lost everything in this disaster. t ADRA North Sudan are working with other local agencies to help the affected survivors recover their lives, and a regain a feeling of normalcy throughout this tumultuous time."

Since the onset of the rains, ADRA North Sudan has acted as the lead agency in the White Nile State in northern Sudan. Working with partner agencies, ADRA North Sudan has assisted several thousand families in the White Nile State, distributing food and non-food items in the areas of Kosti and Rabak.

In July, ADRA North Sudan provided emergency packages whose contents included blankets, sleeping mats, water cans, buckets, and mosquito nets for 5,420 people in the Rabak and Kosti areas. More than 1,000 families received emergency food packages.

In early September, after additional heavy rainfall caused increased flooding and the destruction of homes in several areas, ADRA North Sudan responded with emergency relief packets for approximately 2,100 of the worst affected households.

ADRA North Sudan is also working to improve water and sanitation services among the communities affected by flooding in the Kosti and Rabak areas. Between October and December 2007, ADRA will train 30 community health promoters, conduct 1,200 health and sanitation awareness sessions, distribute 600 hygiene kits, construct 300 household latrines, dig 32 trenches, disinfect household water supplies, and conduct public hygiene and clean-up campaigns.

In South Sudan, ADRA is focusing on providing insecticide-treated nets for 7,000 people in the affected areas of Kosti, Jingmier, Dingkar, and Kiechkuon to prevent the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. ADRA will also provide these families with water purification tablets, agricultural tools, and blankets. The intervention began in August and is expected to run through December 2007.

ADRA South Sudan is coordinating its response efforts with United Nations agencies, and partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP), the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), and the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) to purchase and distribute relief items.

The South Sudan project is funded by the ADRA Trans-Europe regional office located in the United Kingdom, the ADRA United Kingdom office, ADRA Denmark, ADRA Sweden through the Swedish Mission Council, ADRA Norway, and ADRA Switzerland.

Extremely heavy rains, and intense flooding have caused widespread death and devastation throughout the African continent, and destroying crops and homes in at least 18 countries, including hard-hit Uganda and Ghana, where ADRA is also responding to the needs of survivors.

Updates will be released as relief efforts continue.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.

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Media Contact: Kara Watkins ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.5145 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org