A Sudanese man and boys stand next to flood water, as a result of flooding and torrential rain, in the town of Osaylat, 50 km southeast of the capital Khartoum, on Aug 6, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

Floods across Africa have been taking a heavy toll, including the deaths of almost 90 people in Sudan over recent days.

Thousands have also been displaced by the flooding since mid-July, according to the latest report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Aside from the deaths in Sudan, more than 380,000 people have been affected by floods in 17 states.

The floods have destroyed more than 37,000 houses, 34 schools and 2,671 health centers.

The collapse of the Bout earth dam in the Blue Nile state has resulted in contamination of around 2,000 water sources with some being rendered unusable. This has hampered water access for over 100,000 people.

The flash floods that started in mid-July have also damaged roads, hindering relief operations, as some localities are inaccessible, the UN agency said.

In Niger, flooding has killed at least 45 people and displaced more than 226,000, with the western part of the country being the hardest hit, officials in the country reported on Friday. Some 19,234 houses have also been destroyed.

The Niger River, which crossed a key alert level, caused extensive damage in the capital Niamey and beyond. The overflowing of the river comes despite the dyke rehabilitation work carried out just before the rainy season.

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Forecasters have warned of more rains in the coming weeks, raising fears that the number of affected people in the country could rise.

In Chad, an estimated 363,807 people have been displaced due to flash flooding and the volatile security situation along the Lake Chad region, the International Office of Migration said on Friday.

"This year, the lake has recorded the highest rainfall in nearly 30 years. According to the food security cluster, we are at 400 millimeters of rainfall and the rain continues. That is why we are witnessing the flash flooding of villages and fields, which leaves thousands of persons displaced," Mouftah Mohamed, the International Office of Migration head of sub-office at Bagasola in the Lake province said.

Heavy rain and lightning

Between Aug 8 and 16, 11,764 people were displaced in Fouli, Kaya and Mamdi in the lake region, one of the highest numbers ever recorded by the organization in such a short period. Among them, 36 percent were displaced as a result of floods and 64 percent due to the worsening of the security situation.

Uganda has also been affected by heavy rains and lightning resulting in fatalities and people displacement, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

The UN agency said flash floods damaged over 200 houses in Bundibugyo district in the western part of the country on Aug 26, affecting hundreds of residents.

The agency added that the rising water levels in Lake Albert and Lake Kyoga have displaced over 8,700 people across the northern, central and western parts of the country.

According to the Uganda Red Cross Society, eight people died in Arua district in northwest Uganda on Aug 27 after intense lightning.

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In Ethiopia, heavy rains and dams overflows have caused flooding and landslides, displacing thousands of people.

In his briefing on Friday, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said nearly 455,000 people had been impacted by the ongoing rains and 120,000 displaced.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center's Africa Hazards Outlook, heavy rains will continue across the Sahel, including Guniea-Conakry, Mali, Burkina Faso, northern Cote d'Ivoire, and Nigeria, maintaining elevated risks for flooding in the region. Similar conditions are also expected in Cameroon and Chad.

Additionally, seasonally heavy rains are forecast to continue over western Ethiopia, and parts of Eritrea, increasing risks for flooding. And moderate rains are expected over South Sudan, western Sudan, and parts of Uganda.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn