The UN’s humanitarian organization, Ocha, reports that over a million people in South Sudan have been impacted by widespread flooding across the nation. More than a quarter of those affected, particularly in the northern regions, have been forced to flee their homes due to rising waters.
As displaced individuals seek refuge on higher ground, the heavy rains have complicated the delivery of essential aid. This flood season is among the worst South Sudan has faced in decades, with 112,000 people losing their homes in Pibor alone, according to local government relief agencies.
Joseph Nyao, director of Relief and Rehabilitation in Pibor, shared with the BBC that those who have sought higher ground lack food and essential supplies, having left everything behind. He urged individuals in flood-threatened areas to promptly relocate to designated safe grounds identified by local authorities, as water levels continue to rise and displacement persists.
In May, the South Sudanese government warned the international community of potential exceptional flooding, and since the onset of the rains, 15 major supply routes have become impassable, hindering aid delivery to approximately 500,000 individuals across the country.
Amidst this crisis, South Sudan is grappling with the effects of an 18-month civil war in neighboring Sudan, with over half a million Sudanese refugees and returnees registered in South Sudan since April 2023. Ocha cautioned that the country’s already strained humanitarian response is being further tested by these compounding challenges.
