Eastern Sudan is witnessing a nightmare. On the banks of the Atbara River, at its confluence with the Setit River near the city of El Showak in Gedaref State, about 340 kilometers east of Khartoum, a shocking scene has sparked terror.
Hundreds of dead rats have washed up along the riverbanks, turning a place that was once a source of life into a scene of mass die-offs, amid growing fears of water contamination. Foul odors have spread throughout the area, leaving residents shocked and anxious that an even greater disaster may be on the horizon.
A video documenting the scene went viral with lightning speed, sending shockwaves through the Sudanese public. People are asking: “Has poison entered the river? Is the lifeline contaminated?”
The citizen who filmed the catastrophe warned everyone against drinking the river water after witnessing the massive number of dead rats floating on the surface. Residents from the Khashm El-Girba area reported: “The rats are jumping into our beds and kitchens as if they want to occupy our homes. Thousands of hungry rats are destroying property, and we don’t know if the poisons being used are safe.”
Official Response
In an attempt to dispel fears, authorities in Kassala State announced that the phenomenon of rat infestation and die-offs includes the areas of Shagarab, Khashm El-Girba, Al-Hafair, and both banks of the Atbara River. They noted that this phenomenon has previously appeared in Gezira, Sennar, and Gedaref states.
Officials attributed the cause to the massive explosion in the rat population following the suspension of pest control campaigns over the past two years due to the ongoing war. They added that the rats reached Kassala in large swarms traveling from long distances, with expectations that the phenomenon will be gone shortly.
