Building Back Better: Flood Disaster Needs and Recovery Assessment Report released

This week, the Government of Sudan in collaboration with the United Nations and the World Bank, launched a report highlighting the impact of 2020’s floods on development sectors of Sudan, and identified key actions required to reduce the impacts of future disasters including floods.

“Disaster preparedness is vital to peace processes - drought and conflict linkages are evident in Sudan, preparedness is important for reducing financial burden on humanitarian aid and moving forward to development,” said Jos De La Haye, UNDP Sudan Deputy Resident Representative.

He added: “Leaving no one behind, UNDP reiterates its commitment to support disaster risk management including disaster risk governance in Sudan.”

Drawing on assessments of those impacted during 2020’s catastrophic flood events, the Rapid Post Disaster Needs and Recovery Assessment (PDNRA) responds jointly to the Government’s request for flood impact assessment, and recovery planning.

Damage and loss was assessed across 16 sub-sectors including housing, agriculture, energy, and disaster risk reduction. Coordinated with government and key partners, the report highlights key steps to support building a culture of disaster resilience in Sudan – mitigating future impacts and strengthening the ability of communities to recover faster.

With total damage and loss from floods estimated at US$ 4.4 billion, and recovery estimated at US$ 6.9 billion, the key finding was clear: reconstruct with ‘Build Back Better’ principles, not previous methods. Supporting this, efforts are underway in Kassala to support early warning and emergency preparedness.

The United Nations is committed to emergency response and disaster preparedness in Sudan, with UNDP’s support. Previously, UNDP has supported the Sudan Meteorological Authority on Early Warning, developed a national strategy on disaster risk management, and supported creation of disaster insurance products. These measures, and ensuring sustainability, are critical to support disaster risk management, recovery and development in Sudan.

Read the full report and its findings here.