Thousands of IDPs affected by floods in North Darfur

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

NAIROBI-- Pounding rains on Friday night damaged a dam, causing heavy flooding that affected nearly 800 displaced families in Abu Shouk camp in the strife-torn Sudanese state of North Darfur, aid workers said.

"According to a rapid assessment by the humanitarian agencies, 778 families were affected by the flooding," Lidia Hernandez Alonso, camp coordinator for the Spanish Red Cross in Abu Shouk, said.

"The rain damaged a dam that was built to prevent the wadi [seasonal riverbed] to the west of Abu Shouk from flooding," Alonso added. "When the dam broke, the IDP [internally displaced person] camp flooded."

Sections of Abu Shouk were still under water on Monday and several parts of the nearby capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, were also flooded, according to Caesar Hall, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) water and environmental sanitation project manager in the state.