Widespread Floods Hit Five States
Nearly 379,154 people across 21 counties and five states are facing relentless floods, the UN humanitarian coordination office reports. Swollen rivers have swallowed homes, forcing families onto fragile patches of higher ground.
Unity, Upper Nile, Jonglei, Lakes and Warrap bear the heaviest burden, with entire villages only reachable by canoe. Local authorities say displacement is accelerating as water continues to rise.
Food Security Under Threat
OCHA assessments indicate more than 9,000 hectares of crops lost in Mayendit alone. Maize fields lie under murky water, leaving households without the harvest that usually bridges the annual lean season.
Markets washed away in Ganyiel and Koch have cut off cereal inflows, deepening malnutrition fears among women and children already grappling with limited food stocks.
Health Concerns Intensify
Standing water has become breeding ground for mosquitoes, driving malaria cases higher. Reports of snakebite deaths and the looming threat of cholera underline the delicate health situation, humanitarian doctors caution.
With many clinics submerged or inaccessible, mobile teams struggle to deliver vaccines and basic medicines, while crowded shelters heighten the risk of disease outbreaks.
Infrastructure Challenges
Flooded roads and airstrips have stranded relief convoys. In Panyijiar, canoes remain the sole transport, complicating the delivery of tarpaulins, water-purification tablets and high-energy biscuits.
Local officials warn that non-functional public facilities, from schools to boreholes, could prolong displacement even after waters recede.
Forecasts Signal Prolonged Flood Risk
Regional climate centres predict above-normal rainfall through November, with peak flooding likely between September and December as upstream releases from Uganda and Ethiopia swell the White Nile.
Humanitarian planners estimate 1.6 million people nationwide could face flooding this season, urging early resource mobilisation to pre-position supplies before access routes close.
Calls for Coordinated Response
State officials and aid agencies are jointly appealing for funds to reinforce dikes, restore services and scale up food assistance. Without timely support, they caution, the gains secured since last year’s harvest risk being washed away.