Nearly 100 killed in Sudan flooding -Red Crescent

GENEVA, Aug 9 (Reuters) Nearly 100 people have drowned in floods in Sudan, where rivers have burst their banks, inundating villages and farm lands, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today.

The toll over the past month was reported by the Sudanese Red Crescent, which has been leading the humanitarian response to the worst flooding in a generation.

''The (deaths) figure is a direct results of floods -- people who have drowned,'' Federation spokesman Matthew Cochrane said.

The floods are worse than those of 1988, when tens of thousands of homes were destroyed and a million people forced to flee their homes, according to the humanitarian agency.

''Whole communities have been devastated ... farms, livestock, roads, bridges, latrines, hospitals and schools have been damaged or swept away,'' John English, head of the Federation's team in Sudan, said in a statement.

Some 60,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed by the flooding, which has struck 16 of Sudan's 26 states, it said.

The United Nations on Monday reported 64 dead and 335 injured in the flooding, which it said had affected 500,000 people in the past four weeks.

The Federation -- the world's largest disaster relief network -- said it was doubling its appeal to donors to 4.6 million dollars for Sudan.

Niels Scott, the Federation's operations coordinator for Africa, said the floods have damaged Sudan's fragile water and sanitation systems, leaving many without access to clean water.

''This is increasing the incidence of water-borne diseases such as acute watery diarrhoea,'' Scott said.

Sudanese Red Crescent workers have distributed chlorine tablets to purify water, mosquito nets and soap to more than 49,000 people.

Tents, plastic sheeting and blankets have also been handed out, according to the Federation.

Heavy precipitation and soaring temperatures are expected to continue until the end of the rainy season in October.

REUTERS GL BD1745