Delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan has been very difficult recently. Thousands of people need food, water, and medicine. Currently, aid organisations are limited by not being granted access to critical locations and routes due to ongoing conflict and political interference. Further, telecommunications blackouts make it difficult for aid organisations to communicate information, such as road blockages or where they are located. This has had a negative impact on the amount of aid that has reached those in need.

 

The impending rainy season will likely cut off critical humanitarian aid supply routes. In Sudan, numerous wadis (dry riverbeds) cross over roads. During the rainy season, wadis fill up and flood the road, making it very difficult for aid vehicles to pass through. They slow the humanitarian supply chain down, and aid workers struggle to inform each other of the wadis locations due to the telecommunications blackouts.

 

We need to map where wadis are located so we can understand which routes are most at risk of flooding. This project aims to rapidly assess locations where a wadi crosses over a road. We can gather this information from data taken in the dry season. Understanding where wadis are located will help organisations gauge areas of flooding risk during the rainy season.

 

We will then move on to monitoring flooding over the rainy season to help aid organisations on the ground decide on the best route to take. As the rainy season begins in July and continues through September, we will periodically check key access routes for signs of flooding or damage on the roads. This will help humanitarian organisations make decisions on the routes they take to ensure the aid reaches those most in need.

 

The data we generate will be crucial to inform humanitarian decision-makers when they plan supply routes, ensuring aid can reach the people who need it most.