Floods submerge health facility in Twic East, displace residents

BOR – Local authorities in South Sudan’s Jonglei State reported Tuesday that flooding has submerged a health facility in Mar Payam, Twic East County, and displaced residents, many of whom have sought refuge on higher ground.

Twic East County Commissioner Juach Arok told Sudans Post that the majority of residents in Mar Payam are now residing along dykes and elevated areas to escape the rising floodwaters.

“Majority of us are residing along the dyke and highland Patiou, Mar, and other areas. So, moving to Palieu and Dool, people are residing at the dyke, and what remains in the health facility are some essential medicines but not admitted patients,” said Arok.

He noted that sandbags provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) have been deployed to control water levels, but the situation remains dire.

“We sent them the sandbags that were donated by the World Food Programme a month ago to help control the water level, although the water is strong,” Arok added.

The commissioner said the affected population urgently needs food, shelter, and medical care as the flooding has also reached Panyigoor, the county headquarters.

“The water level is rising in Panyigoor, but it has not yet reached the hospital because the hospital is within the town, and the dyke is outside the town. However, the water will reach the hospital in a few days if it does not subside,” he warned.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 1.3 million people across 42 counties, including the disputed Abyei Administrative Area, have been displaced by heavy flooding this year.

The floods, described as the worst since South Sudan’s independence in 2011, are attributed to rising water levels in Lake Victoria, the largest lake in the region.

Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Abyei Administrative Area are among the most affected regions.

In July 2024, South Sudan’s cabinet approved $78 million under its emergency flood preparedness and response plan to mitigate the impact of floods on livelihoods and infrastructure.

On October 3, the government declared the ongoing floods a national disaster, underscoring the severity of the crisis and its devastating impact on the population.