Torrential rainfall has displaced more than 1,000 households in Rukuac Payam, the second-largest town in Mayendit County, Unity State, officials said Wednesday.
County Commissioner Marko Juong Magok Gatluak told Radio Tamazuj that the heavy rains, which began Tuesday morning, affected 6,000 people, destroying homes and forcing families to seek shelter in open areas in Rubkuai and nearby locations.
Gatluak said he met with humanitarian agencies to coordinate aid but noted that relief efforts have been hampered by the recent suspension of USAID support by the U.S. government.
“I witnessed the suffering of my people starting from Tuesday night. They are still suffering due to the heavy rainfall that washed away several houses,” he said.
Gatkuoth Riek Dak, the newly appointed director of Mayendit County’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), confirmed the number of affected households in a Facebook post, estimating the total at 1,000.
Nyahok Kuong, a mother of six, said her family was forced to flee their home in Rubkuai Payam after the storm. She described severe hardships, including food shortages, and appealed for government and humanitarian assistance.
The commissioner visited displaced families to assess the damage.