Gezira: One person has died and nine others have been injured as heavy rains damaged hundreds of homes in Sudan's central Gezira state during the rainy season, local authorities said Thursday. The Gezira Health Ministry reported that its emergency operations center has been actively reviewing the cumulative damage recorded across the state between May 12 and August 11.

According to Anadolu Agency, a total of 503 families across 57 areas have been affected by rains and floods, with 447 homes damaged-206 of them completely and 241 partially. The ministry also noted that six health facilities were completely damaged, and 23 others suffered partial damage. In response, health interventions have been carried out in affected areas, including the distribution of chlorine to disinfect drinking water, sanitizing collapsed toilets, conducting fly-control campaigns, and spraying ponds and swamps.

Officials have also reviewed the epidemiological situation in the state, focusing on cases of dengue fever and hepatitis recorded since the beginning of the year and efforts to curb their spread. Sudan typically experiences heavy rains during the rainy season, which runs from June to October and leads to annual flooding in various parts of the country.

Situated between the Blue and White Nile rivers in east-central Sudan, Gezira is one of the country's most crucial agricultural regions and home to the vast Gezira Scheme. The impact of this year's rains comes as Sudan continues to grapple with the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in mid-April 2023.

The state's agricultural sector has also been severely disrupted by the conflict. The Gezira Scheme, spanning approximately 924,000 hectares (2.28 million acres), has historically played a significant role in Sudan's food production, but farming and irrigation infrastructure have suffered extensive damage during the war. RSF fighters have reportedly diverted irrigation canals to flood farmland and five villages, according to reports cited by the European Union Agency for Asylum.

The ongoing war has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced around 15 million people, as reported by the UN and local authorities. Meanwhile, research by US universities estimates the death toll to be around 130,000.