An ounce of prevention

“We expected illness and diseases and sickness,” says Abdullah Abdul-Hadi. “But because of the aid and the clean water, we are now healthy, and can rebuild what we have lost.”

Abdullah is a 43-year-old father of seven children. When his home in Kuma, in North Darfur, Sudan was destroyed by floods, Abdullah, his wife and his children survived, but they lost everything.

From July to October 2019, heavy rains and flash floods swept across 17 of the 18 states of Sudan. There were 78 reported deaths and over 364,200 affected by the heavy rains and flooding across the country.

“Houses were destroyed; we suffered and struggled,” says Abdullah.

“We were afraid to leave everything behind, but at the same time, staying was too dangerous.”

Abdullah says he was worried about the outbreak of waterborne diseases and the spread of malaria.

To prevent this from happening, Save the Children went to work repairing flooded water stations and providing clean water to those who were displaced and living in camps.

“With the help of their interventions, we are healthy, which is the most important thing for us,” says Abdullah.

Muhammad Rabeh Muhammad, another father of seven children, lived in the same neighbourhood as Abdullah. His home was also destroyed, and along with so many others, his family was forced to flee to a camp.

“Save the Children took care of our children,” says Muhammad. “We are grateful and we are satisfied with our children safe.’’

And with ongoing support, he says he is not worried.

“We know it is a matter of time,” says Muhammad. “We will return to our homes.”