The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday handed over an upgraded all-weather airstrip in Leer County to the Unity State government, a project aimed at improving humanitarian access, trade and transport in one of the country’s most flood-prone areas.
The rehabilitation, funded by the United Kingdom through UK Aid and implemented by WFP, is expected to allow humanitarian, government and commercial flights to operate throughout the year, reducing the area’s isolation during the rainy season.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Leer, WFP Country Representative Mutinta Chimuka said the upgraded airstrip would improve access to communities often cut off by flooding and poor road infrastructure.
“This airstrip is going to make a huge difference in the lives of the people here in Leer County,” Chimuka said. “It will allow us and others to deliver to Leer at any time of the year.”
South Sudan’s underdeveloped road network, difficult terrain and seasonal flooding frequently disrupt aid operations, making air transport the only reliable means of delivering food, medical supplies and other humanitarian assistance to remote communities.
Chimuka thanked the British government for financing the project and urged authorities to ensure the facility is fully utilised.
“We want to make sure this airstrip is not just a monument where we have a ceremony, but that it is well utilised,” she said.
She said sustained peace remained essential to achieving long-term development in South Sudan.
Officials from the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority said the upgraded airstrip would strengthen domestic air connectivity by improving the movement of passengers and cargo to and from Leer.
Blasia Akongo James, the authority’s Director for Air Transport, Economic and Consumer Protection, said the facility would help integrate Leer more closely with the rest of the country.
Unity State officials said the project could also stimulate economic activity in a region that has endured years of flooding and transport disruptions.
Diaydor Turoal, Unity State’s Minister for Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies, said communities in southern Unity had struggled to access goods and services since severe flooding began affecting the region in 2020.
“During the rainy season, supplies are cut off, roads become inaccessible, and river transport has also been disrupted by insecurity,” he said.
Leer County Commissioner Stephen Taker Riak welcomed the project but called for additional investment, including runway markings, a passenger terminal, water and sanitation facilities, and an extension of the runway to accommodate larger aircraft.
He also appealed for improvements to roads linking humanitarian distribution centres in the county.
The upgraded facility is the second major airstrip in Unity State after Bentiu and is expected to support humanitarian operations, emergency response, government travel and commercial activity in Leer and surrounding areas.
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