An estimated 35,987 individuals have been displaced by floods in Unity State’s Mayiendit County since last Thursday.
The homes and gardens of the affected people were inundated and destroyed in the flood-prone areas of the four payams: Thaker, Mirim, Bor, and Tutnyang.
Some of the flood victims Radio Tamazuj managed to reach over the weekend said their situation is dire. Nyawhat Jagai, a mother of nine, on Saturday said that residents of Kuok Boma in Thaker Payam were forced out of their homes by floods after torrential rains and appealed for humanitarian aid.
“We were among the first to be affected by the floods because we live in Kuok Boma along the river. Many people are displaced to a school and a church. However, I am among those who left and relocated to Leer Town because I fear for my children’s security,” she said. “Our livelihoods have also been destroyed, with maize crops now standing in water before the harvest. Before this, we experienced floods since 2020, so we appeal for intervention.”
Another affected resident, Nyakong Nyang, said their situation is calamitous and urged support from national NGOs and the state government.
“As you have seen, we are sheltering outside the school and church because the number of people who were displaced is huge,” she lamented. “Crops are destroyed in our farms, so we do not have food. Where to sleep is also a problem. Mobility is also a problem; people cannot walk to work. It is still raining, meaning there will be more devastation unfolding on us very soon.”
For his part, Mayiendit County Commissioner Juong Majok Gatluak told this publication on Saturday that the flood-displaced people are indeed suffering and that called for humanitarian intervention.
“About 35,987 individuals are affected by these floods, which started last week. The majority of those affected are in school and church buildings, while the rest are integrated into homes of their relatives, which are in a better state,” he said. “The county headquarters of Mayiendit Town is underwater even now. Tutnyang, Thaker, and Bor payams, among other areas, are affected with all the farms submerged in floodwaters.”
“Apart from displacement and homelessness, severe food shortages and a health crisis will affect the displaced people, and we appeal to aid agencies to assess the situation and come to our aid,” Commissioner Majok added.
He said he has held several meetings with NGOs operating in Mayiendit County about the plight of the affected people, but most said they have funding shortages since the U.S. government stopped USAID operations.