Hailstorms destroy 3,750 farms in South Darfur

Heavy hailstorms have caused widespread damage to farms in the Daous area, north-west of Kass locality in Sudan’s South Darfur, destroying at least 3,750 farms.

Hafiz El Saleh, the executive director of Kass locality, tells Radio Dabanga that the natural disaster caused extensive damage to farms across an area estimated to cover 30 kilometres. He says about 3,750 farms were completely destroyed by the hailstones.

He explains that the incident occurred at about 15:00. The absence of residents from the affected area at the time helped prevent casualties, and no deaths or injuries were reported.

The executive director says residents told him that a natural disaster of this kind had never occurred in the area’s history. He expressed concern about the impact on farmers who had lost their crops and sources of income.

El Saleh announced the formation of a committee comprising representatives of local institutions to assess the extent of the damage and identify affected farmers. The committee will prepare a report for the relevant authorities detailing the losses and outlining possible ways to compensate those affected.

He appealed to international organisations, the international community, and the relevant authorities to intervene urgently to assist affected farmers and provide the necessary support to mitigate the effects of the disaster and compensate them for their agricultural losses.