The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today that floods have impacted approximately 472,000 individuals across 26 of South Sudan’s 78 counties.
The most severely affected regions include Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria. These states are facing severe challenges, including the aftermath of previous floods, ongoing conflicts, displacement, food insecurity, and the ripple effects of the crisis in Sudan.
Concerns are growing that up to 3.3 million people could be affected during the peak of the rainy season, anticipated between September and October. This figure includes communities still recovering from the devastating floods between 2019 and 2022.
The anticipated flooding is expected to further strain already vulnerable populations, particularly in remote areas where access to humanitarian aid is limited. The current floods have already led to the destruction of homes, crops, and essential services, and have heightened the risk of disease outbreaks.
Displaced individuals are seeking refuge in public facilities such as schools and churches or along roadsides. Reports indicate an increase in cases of malaria, respiratory infections, acute watery diarrhea, and snakebites since the rainy season began in June.
Additionally, flood-affected populations are unable to tend to their lands and livestock, exacerbating their vulnerabilities. In response, South Sudan’s Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry has issued an urgent appeal for residents in low-lying areas along the Nile to relocate, as water levels at the Mangala Telemetric Station in Juba County have reached a five-year high of 14.85 meters. Maximum water levels have also been recorded at other stations in Juba, Bor, and eight additional locations, intensifying the humanitarian crisis.
