OCHA: 380,000 People Affected by Flooding in South Sudan

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) South Sudan, more than 380,000 people have been affected by flooding in areas along the Nile River, Sudd wetlands and the rivers Lol and Sobat since May 2021. Jonglei and Unity states are the worst affected.

Some 380,000 people have been affected by flooding in #SouthSudan since May, with Jonglei and Unity states the worst affected.

Response operations are scaling up to meet the needs of people affected by the #flooding.

More in our 🇸🇸 flooding snapshot #1https://t.co/kQa07rnztv pic.twitter.com/RWfeUC9CGd

— OCHA South Sudan (@OCHASouthSudan) August 31, 2021

Early seasonal rains have caused rivers to overflow, flooding vast areas and settlements across the top of the country, with more heavy rains and flooding expected in the coming months. Many of the flood-affected people moved to higher grounds within their county, and plan to return home once the flood waters recede.

More than 100,000 people, mostly from Twic East, who were displaced by the 2020 floods, still have not returned home and are sheltering in the Bor and Mangalla IDP camps, and in Mingkaman, according to humanitarian partners.

A coordinated humanitarian response scale-up in the most affected states of Jonglei, Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap was initiated to respond to the increased needs of people affected and displaced by the flood waters. Rapid needs assessments have been conducted in eight of the affected counties between May and August 2021.

Around 380K people have been affected by flooding in #SouthSudan@WFP & partners are scaling up to support those most affected📈

Check @OCHASouthSudan's flooding snapshot for more details👇🏿

— WFP South Sudan (@WFP_SouthSudan) September 1, 2021

World Food Programme (WFP) and partners are now responding to the immediate needs of the flood-affected people, with more assessments planned and efforts ongoing to reach remote areas. Priority needs include food assistance, emergency shelter and NFIs, WASH services and hygenie kits, health and nutrition supplies and services, protection services and dignity kits, and fishing kits for livelihood support.

For more information on South Sudan’s flooding and OCHA’s humanitarian response, visit bit.ly/3gIXZq8.