August 13, 2007

A month of torrential rains in many parts of Sudan has resulted in floods that have severely affected homes, infrastructure, social service facilities, farms, properties and livestock.

Up to a half million people are reportedly affected by the floods and at least 64 have died as a result. The worst-affected areas are the states of Kassala, Khartoum, Northern Kordofan, Unity, and Upper Nile. More than 30,000 houses have been fully destroyed, the United Nations reported.

Relief efforts by the UN have included the distribution of blankets, pieces of plastic sheeting to serve as shelter, jerry cans for carrying and storing clean water, cooking sets, and sleeping mats.

Water-borne epidemics and the lack of clean water have been among the primary concerns, and water purification tablets and other products have also been distributed. Serious health and sanitation problems such as malaria, diarrhea, eye infections and other water-carried diseases are expected to crop up in the coming few weeks.

Among the affected areas, the central Sudan state of North Kordofan faces a dire situation because of feared crop failures due to the rains and flooding and also because of an existing security situation there.

CWS response

In response to the emergency situation, CWS partners and fellow Action by Churches Together (ACT) International members Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO) recently sent a team to the state of North Kordofan (also spelled North Kurdufan) to establish an emergency base and join other efforts and emergency co-ordination forces formed from both the Sudanese government and humanitarian agencies.

Currently, SUDO and NCA are running distribution of non-food items through operation bases in El-Obeid and Um Rwawaba. Apart from these two bases, non-food items are also being dispatched from temporary distributions centers in Er-Rahad, Wad 'Ashana and As-Semaih.

Objectives of the CWS-supported response include:

Providing emergency support to the most affected families in a form of NFIs and shelter materials;

Lobbying relevant humanitarian agencies and authorities to provide emergency food assistance and agricultural seeds/tools for the affected populations (activities: assessment, lobbying, campaigning, community mobilization and empowerment);

Improving the sanitation and health situation and prevent waterborne diseases from spreading;

Rehabilitating flood-affected schools;

Assisting affected communities in rehabilitating/rebuilding their community infrastructure.

Specific activities include the distribution of 2,000 mosquito nets, plastic sheeting, sleeping mats and blankets each to 1,000 families. Supplying drugs to five clinics; construction of five public community latrines; construction of three schools and the rehabilitation of five schools.

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be sent to your denomination or to: Church World Service, Appeal - Account # 641-T North Kordofan (Sudan) Floods, P.O. Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515. Contributions may also be made by credit card online or by calling: (800) 297-1516, ext. 22.

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org