Over 400,000 people affected by floods

By Benjamin Takpiny

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has said that more than 472,000 people across 26 of South Sudan’s 78 counties are affected by heavy floods.

OCHA said in a statement on Thursday that the affected people are in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria State.

It said that these States are already grappling with compounded challenges such as previous floods, ongoing conflict, displacement, food insecurity, and the broader regional impact of the Sudan crisis.

OCHA said that those displaced by the floods seek refuge with relatives in public facilities like schools and churches or sheltering in the open along roadsides.

“The floods have devastated homes, destroyed crops, disrupted education and health services, and restricted access to essential facilities, escalating the risk of disease outbreaks,” it disclosed.

It noted that malaria cases are on the rise including respiratory tract infections, acute watery diarrhea, and snakebites since the onset of the rainy season in June, adding that flood-affected populations have been unable to tend to their lands and livestock, further aggravating their vulnerabilities.

“Projections suggest that at the peak of the rainy season, between September and October, flooding could impact up to 3.3 million people nationwide, including communities still recovering from the devastating floods of 2019-2022, which displaced at least 1 million people annually. The anticipated flooding will likely exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, especially in remote communities with significant access constraints to humanitarian aid,” it said.

On 20 August, the South Sudan Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation issued an urgent appeal for communities in low-lying areas along the Nile to relocate, as water levels at the Mangala Telemetric Station in Juba County reached a five-year high of 14.85 meters.

 Maximum water levels have also been reported at stations in Juba, Bor, and eight other locations, further worsening the humanitarian crisis.

 OCHA said that South Sudan faces severe flooding, with predictions of above-average rainfall and record-level floods from June to September, adding that continuous heavy rains since May, combined with controlled water releases from Lake Victoria, have significantly raised Nile River levels, affecting up to 472,000 people nationwide.

It said that humanitarian partners are rapidly responding to the immediate needs of flood-affected populations with life-saving assistance.

“Over 66.7 metric tons of emergency health kits, including cholera kits and essential nutrition supplies, have been strategically pre-positioned in Yambio, Rumbek, Wau, Kuajok, Bentiu, and Aweil, ensuring life-saving support for nearly 860,000 people,” it disclosed.