South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Denis Ejulu
The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has forced more than 800,000 people into neighboring South Sudan since April 2023.
Albino Akol Atak, Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, said on Wednesday that the escalation in fighting has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation which was already compounded by climate change induced impacts such as delayed rains and flooding.
“This year in 2024 in South Sudan we have had a lot of crisis that has made our people to be vulnerable, one of them is climate change impact on our people that is causing floods and drought, the other is the conflict in Sudan that has forced more than 800,000 people to flee to South Sudan most of them are South Sudanese people, all these people are coming lacking everything including food,” Akol said during the handover ceremony of relief food to the World Food Program (WFP) donated by the government of Japan in Juba.
He noted that most of the arrivals at some of the transit centers are stranded as they arrive without anything on them.
Akol also noted that the South Sudan economy has been weakened due to the conflict in Sudan, adding that refugees and returnees mostly South Sudanese are straining resources available to the government and host communities.
More than 7 million people are at risk of severe hunger this year, according to Integrated Food Phase Classification (IPC) released by UN agencies.
“This year we are going to deal with very difficult floods, according to information provided to us from the government of Uganda, the level of water is rising in Lake Victoria and as a result of that the government of Uganda has started releasing water from the Owen Falls Dam in Jinja,” Akol said.
He disclosed that they have requested the government of Uganda to reduce the level of water being released from the largest Lake in Africa to deter causing heavy flooding in South Sudan.
The Ugandan authorities had initially started releasing 2,600 cubic meters but have reduced the water levels being released after South Sudan intervened.
“This is based on our request because we cannot afford this water to pass through our Nile River in huge quantity that will worsen flooding,” Akol said.
The six States that are predicted to be most affected by this year’s heavy floods are Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Central Equatoria States.
Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in South Sudan, said they have shortfall of 250 million dollars to enable them to respond to the floods, continuing crisis in Sudan, food insecurity and malnutrition crisis in South Sudan.
She added that the funds will also help them to address some of the impact of the economic crisis on the most vulnerable households across the country.
