Over 1m residents impacted by floods in South Sudan — UN report

A report from the United Nations Humanitarian Organisation, OCHA, has revealed that over one million people in South Sudan have been impacted by widespread flooding.

The report noted that many residents particularly in the northern regions, had been displaced due to rising waters.

OCHA reported that the displaced individuals were seeking refuge on higher ground, however, the persistent rains had made the delivery of aid to those in need increasingly challenging.

This flood season is among the worst in South Sudan, a country with a population exceeding 11 million, has experienced in recent decades.

In Pibor, located in the east, a government relief agency had reported that 112,000 people had lost their homes.

The Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, United Nations, Joseph Nyao, stated that those who had retreated to higher ground “don’t have food, they left everything in that previous location.”

He also mentioned that the government is urging residents in flood-prone regions to promptly relocate to higher ground designated by local authorities for their safety.

“The level of water is still increasing and the displacement is continuing,” he added.

In May, the government warned the international community about the imminent risk of exceptional floods expected to affect the country in the coming months.

According to OCHA, since the rains commenced, 15 major supply routes had become impassable, disrupting the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to approximately 500,000 people across various regions of the country.

This situation exacerbates South Sudan’s ongoing struggle with the repercussions of the 18-month civil war in neighbouring Sudan.

OCHA cautioned that South Sudan, already grappling with a deteriorating humanitarian crisis, is seeing its response capacity increasingly overstretched.

South Sudan is grappling with persistently high levels of acute food insecurity, primarily driven by natural disasters such as severe flooding and dry spells, which have led to soaring food costs.

This year, approximately 7.1 million people, or about half of the country’s population, are reportedly facing crisis levels of food insecurity.