Floods in South Sudan affect 1.4M people: UN

Devastating flooding in South Sudan affected around 1.4 million people, and displaced 379,000 others, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the East African country said on Saturday.

“About 1.4 million people are affected by flooding in 43 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area, with Jonglei and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states comprising more than 51 per cent of the affected population,” OCHA said in a statement.

It added that over 379,000 people were displaced in 22 counties and Abyei.

“This week, joint Government and inter-agency assessments identified an additional 1,720 flood-displaced people in Mangalla, Juba County of Central Equatoria State”, the UN agency added.

It said a surge in malaria has been reported in Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Central Equatoria, and Western Equatoria states, overwhelming the health system and exacerbating the situation and impact in flood-hit areas.

“With roads submerged, humanitarian aid faces delays as responders work to reach affected communities in challenging conditions”, it noted.

The severe rainfall and the flooding in the East African country is one of the worst in decades, according to OCHA.