Khartoum, Aug 22 (IANS): The Sudanese government has declared a state of alert and emergency in six states of the country over heavy rains and floods, the official SUNA news agency reported.

"In its meeting on Sunday, the Council of Ministers declared a state of alert and emergency regarding the flood disasters that affected six states, including River Nile, Gezira, White Nile, West Kordofan, South Darfur and Kassala," the report said on Sunday.

The council stressed the need to mobilise official and popular efforts to attract internal and external humanitarian support from official and popular bodies to provide assistance to the affected people in the states, Xinhua news agency reported.

Acting Cabinet Affairs Minister Osman Hussein Osman affirmed the opening of an account in local and foreign currencies to attract support to the people affected by torrential rains and floods in the states.

"We announce mobilisation of the popular and official effort to help the affected people and strengthen early warning and follow-up systems in order to avoid potential damage," SUNA quoted Osman as saying.

Wide areas in Sudan have recently been witnessing unprecedented heavy rains and floods. The latest death toll from the disaster has climbed to 80, according to a report of Sudan's National Council for Civil Defence on Sunday.

Nearly 136,000 Sudanese people have been affected by the floods and heavy rains since June, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Sudan often witnesses floods caused by heavy rains from June to October.