Rising waters of the Nile have flooded homes and fields in northern Egypt, forcing residents to evacuate by boat. In the village of Dalhamo, northwest of Cairo, residents, like fisherman Saied Gameel, have lost everything due to unusually high water levels. This year’s floods are worse than previous years, with a late surge of water moving north from Ethiopia through Sudan into Egypt, exacerbated by existing seasonal flooding.
In Sudan, flooding has displaced around 1,200 families and destroyed homes, worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis due to an 18-month war. Egypt’s Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry blames Ethiopia’s operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam for the floods, claiming that sudden water releases after the dam’s inauguration on September 9 caused “man-made, late floods. ” They reported a significant increase in water discharges shortly after the inauguration, which affected Sudan’s Roseires Dam and added pressure on Egypt.
Ethiopia, viewing the dam as essential for its development, has rejected Egypt’s accusations, stating that regulated water releases have actually mitigated flood damage. Ethiopian officials argue that without the dam, flooding would have been worse in both Sudan and Egypt. The dam is designed to produce significant power and hold large amounts of water, which Egypt argues violates historical water treaties and poses a serious threat to its water supply. Health teams were sent to flooded areas, but many residents, like Gameel, are still waiting for assistance, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
With information from Reuters