Juba
Ongoing floods have impacted more than 710,000 people across 30 of the 78 counties in South Sudan and the Abyei Administrative Area, worsening an already critical humanitarian situation. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that heavy rains, which began in May, have caused extensive damage and disrupted lives.
The flooding has compounded existing challenges like severe food insecurity, economic decline, ongoing conflicts, and disease outbreaks. The UN relief agency highlighted that the floods have destroyed homes, crops, and vital infrastructure, disrupting education and health services and raising the risk of disease outbreaks.
The UN agency projects that during the peak of the rainy season in September and October, up to 3.3 million people could be affected by floods, including those still recovering from the 2019-2022 floods that displaced at least one million people annually.
A high-level meeting held in Juba reviewed the 2024 flood preparedness plan, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts and clear priorities. Humanitarian partners are already responding with life-saving aid, including food, shelter, water, sanitation, emergency health kits, and protection services.
On August 20, South Sudan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation urged residents in low-lying areas along the Nile to relocate as water levels at the Mangala Telemetric Station reached a five-year high of 14.85 meters.
