What is "showak"

Showak (also Ash Showak or el Showak) ( ), is a town on the Atbarah River in eastern Gedarif State, Sudan, at an altitude of above sea level. It lies at a distance of to the northeast of Khartoum. Showak is a major transport hub between Gedaref, the state capital and Kassala city.

The national highway linking Khartoum and the rest of the country with Port Sudan, as well as the railway line parallel to it passes through Showak. Showak has the largest cattle market in the State and contains a special clinic, affiliated with Khartoum University, which treats camels. It also hosts a large UN Refugees camp in its vicinity known as the Shagarab Refugees camp and is home to the Sudanese headquarters of the United Nations High Commission for Refuge. There is one hospital in the town, Ash Showak Rural Hospital, and a branch of the Agricultural Bank of Sudan, located in the town's main market.