This image shows the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans – not a recent flood in Khartoum

“This is confusing me. Last year :On September 2020, cities of Sudan were highly flooded by the water from Nile river. (sic). This year: Sudan is against the 2nd round filling of GERD in Ethiopia claiming it affects my water share,” the post’s caption reads in part. 

The image in the Facebook post features flooded roads. Road signs on the bottom right-hand corner of the picture suggests it shows part of a highway under water.

Image

Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on April 12, 2021

Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have been at a standoff over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) ever since Addis Ababa broke ground on it in 2011. Downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan view the mega-dam as a threat to their dependence on Nile waters, while Ethiopia considers it essential for its development.

While former President Donald Trump suggested Egypt could “blow up” the dam to stop its construction, Sudan’s foreign minister recently ruled out military action to stop Ethiopia from filling the reservoirs.

Highest river waters since records began left people in the Khartoum area struggling to hold back rising floods in September 2020. However, the image used in the Facebook post does not show the city of Khartoum. 

Hurricane Katrina photo

A reverse image search using TinEye revealed that the image was taken by Getty Images and shows the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. 

The photograph was captured on August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, according to the Getty website.

Embed from Getty Images

“In this handout image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, water flooded roadways can be seen as the U.S. Coast Guard conducts initial Hurricane Katrina damage assessment overflights August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana,” the caption reads. 

The image was also published on the website of the US Department of Defense.

AFP Fact Check previously debunked similar misinformation linked to the Sudan floods.