More than 7,000 people displaced by severe flooding in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State are in urgent need of food, shelter, and medical aid, local officials said Monday.
Michael Othow Bol, the commissioner of Makal County, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the situation continues to deteriorate as floodwaters rise across the region, submerging homes and forcing thousands to flee.
“Almost the entire county is affected,” Bol said. “The floodwaters are coming from the bushes and the overflowing river. Wau-Shilluk, which was considered a safer area, is now among the worst affected, with 3,000 people in dire need.”
He said residents initially fled from other payams (administrative divisions) to Wau-Shilluk and Malakal town, but the continued spread of floodwaters has left few safe havens.
“Schools are closed. The areas of Lelo, Obwoo, Warjwok, Makal, Ditang, and others are submerged,” he said.
Batholomew Obach Ngor, the county coordinator for the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), echoed the call for urgent humanitarian intervention.
“These floods are worse than in previous years. Ogot and Lelo payams have been particularly hard-hit,” Ngor said. “Youth are currently working on dykes to protect the remaining dry areas. We are urging aid agencies to relocate affected residents to Alal in Wau-Shilluk, which is the only dry area left.”
Ngor also highlighted the urgent need for medical supplies, including anti-venom treatments, amid a rise in snakebites.
“In Lelo Payam, 4,431 people have been affected by the floods, while 3,968 others are stranded in Ogot Payam,” he said. “There is nowhere left that is safe.”