As many as a million people in South Sudan have been overwhelmed by recent floods that have been devastating vast portions of the country, according to OCHA, the humanitarian organization of the UN. Vast areas have caused some more than a quarter of the displaced population, especially from the northern regions, to lose their homes due to overflowing waters.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are having to take refuge on hilltops; but the heavy downpour has complicated matters while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to desperate people. The seasons have been described as one of the worst South Sudan, with its over 11 million, has ever witnessed.
About 112,000 residents in the eastern town of Pibor are homeless, local relief agencies announced. Pibor County director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Joseph Nyao pointed out that the situation for the displaced is grave, saying, “They don’t even have food; they left everything in their previous location.” He urged people living in flood-prone areas to move to higher grounds designated by local authorities to ensure their safety since waters are continually on the rise and displacement continues.
In May, the South Sudanese government alerted the global community to the impending perilous flooding that is expected within the coming months. Since the beginning of the rains, 15 major supply routes have become impassable, thereby limiting the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to over 500,000 persons in several regions.
This flooding crisis is taking place against the backdrop of a wider humanitarian crises within South Sudan, which is also trying to pick up the pieces from an 18-month civil conflict in neighboring Sudan. Some half-million Sudanese refugees and returnees had registered in South Sudan since April of last year, putting further stress on already meager resources.
OCHA has warned that South Sudan’s response capacity to the humanitarian crisis taking a toll today is being stretched further, explaining why there is an urgent need for assistance and support to help deal with the situation.