CAIRO, Oct. 4 (AGCNewsNet) – Egypt has accused Ethiopia of acting “recklessly and irresponsibly” in operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), alleging that unilateral moves by Addis Ababa have worsened flooding in Sudan and pose a direct threat to Egyptian lands and lives.

In a statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said the country has been closely monitoring this year’s Nile flood developments, linking rising water levels to Ethiopia’s “illegal and unilateral” dam management in violation of international law.

“These practices lack the most basic principles of responsibility and transparency and represent a direct threat to the lives and security of the peoples of the downstream states,” the ministry said.

It argued that Ethiopia’s actions “expose beyond doubt the falsehood” of its assurances that the dam causes no harm, accusing Addis Ababa of exploiting water resources for political gain at the expense of regional security.

Egyptian officials said sudden surges of water from the dam, coupled with delayed rainfall in Sudan and higher-than-normal levels in the White Nile, led to severe flooding that inundated farmlands and submerged Sudanese villages.

In response, Egyptian authorities announced precautionary measures, including heightened alerts in governorates along the Nile. Beheira Governorate ordered inspections and preventive actions along riverbanks, while Monufia governorate directed residents and farmers near the Nile to evacuate low-lying areas after floodwaters submerged homes in Dalhamou village.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned that Ethiopia’s lack of coordination in dam operations has triggered recent floods in Sudan, calling the unilateral steps a violation of international law. He also stressed that Egypt “fully retains its right, guaranteed under international law, to defend its existential interests and water rights by all means if threatened.”

The dispute over the GERD, inaugurated by Ethiopia in September after 14 years of construction, remains unresolved. Both Egypt and Sudan argue that the dam’s filling and operation should only proceed under a legally binding agreement, while Ethiopia insists it has sovereign rights over the Blue Nile project.

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