Gov’t to launch early warning system on disasters

JUBA – South Sudan’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Peter Mayen Majongdit,has said that his Ministry is developing an early warning and disaster preparedness system to deter, monitor and mitigate threat of disasters in the country.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Tuesday in Juba, Mayen said the Disaster Management Team is already on the ground collecting, compiling and updating existing information to help enhance capacity to respond to floods and other natural disaster.

“We have a national disaster management team that is already in the field and we are also building an early warning system to deter disaster whether it be in health, man-made and natural disaster,” Mayen told Sudans Post.

Mayen disclosed that they working closely with development partners to mitigate disasters ahead of upcoming rainy season starting in April.

The worst affected areas were Jonglei State and Pibor Administrative Areas and some parts of Central and Western Equatoria.

“We are mobilizing resources and the materials we have to respond to disaster but the most important is developing an early warning system whereby communities will be warned of upcoming disaster,” he said. 

He advised the farmers to heed to instruction from the early warning system before planning crops.

“The farmers who are preparing their lands should wait for instructions from the Ministry of Humanitarian department of early warning. It will help to tell them where their crops will be safe and the areas that will definitely be affected by floods,” he said.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in March this year launched South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan 2021 seeking 1.7 billion U.S. dollar to address humanitarian needs of 6.6 million people this year.