Floods affect over 472,000 in South Sudan: UN

Juba, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 472,000 people across 26 of South Sudan's 78 counties have been affected by flash floods caused by heavy rains, the UN relief agency reported Thursday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the floods, which began in May, have devastated homes, destroyed crops, disrupted education and health services, and restricted access to essential facilities, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.

"The anticipated flooding is likely to worsen existing vulnerabilities, especially in remote communities with significant access constraints to humanitarian aid," OCHA said in its flooding update released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

South Sudan is facing severe flooding, with predictions of above-average rainfall and record-level floods from June to September. According to UN projections, flooding could impact up to 3.3 million people nationwide during the peak rainy season between September and October. This includes communities still recovering from the devastating floods of 2019-2022, which displaced at least 1 million people annually.

OCHA warned that continuous heavy rains, combined with controlled water releases from Lake Victoria, have significantly raised Nile River levels, affecting up to 472,000 people across the country. Humanitarian partners are rapidly responding to the immediate needs of flood-affected populations with life-saving assistance.

The affected regions, including Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile and Central Equatoria, are already dealing with compounded challenges such as previous floods, ongoing conflict, displacement, food insecurity and the broader regional impact of the Sudan crisis.

Displaced individuals are seeking refuge with relatives, in public facilities like schools and churches, or sheltering in the open along roadsides. Reports indicate rising cases of malaria, respiratory infections, acute watery diarrhea and snakebites.

On Aug. 20, the country's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation issued an urgent appeal for communities in low-lying areas along the Nile River to relocate, as water levels at the Mangala Telemetric Station in Juba County reached a five-year high of 14.85 meters. ■