KHARTOUM: The government of Sudan has declared a state of alert and emergency in six states of the country over heavy rains and floods, the official SUNA news reported.

"The Council of Ministers in its meeting on Sunday,  declared a state of alert and emergency regarding the flood disasters that affected 6 states, including River Nile, White Nile, Gezira, South Darfur, West Kordofan and Kassala," the report said on Sunday.

"We announce mobilisation of the popular and official effort to help the affected people and strengthen early warning and follow-up systems in order to avert potential damage," news report quotes.  The council stressed the need to mobilise official and popular efforts to attract internal and external humanitarian support from official and popular bodies to provide help to the affected people in the states, as per reports.

Wide areas in Sudan have recently been affecting unprecedented heavy rains and floods. The latest death toll from the disaster has risen to 80, according to a report of Sudan's National Council for Civil Defence on Sunday.

Osman Hussein Osman, the acting cabinet affairs minister, confirmed the opening of an account in local and international currency to help those affected by the severe rains and flooding in the states.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, since June, flooding and severe rains have had an impact on about 136,000 Sudanese citizens.

Between June and October, Sudan frequently experiences floods brought on by persistent rain.

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