South Sudan caught unaware by devastating floods, minister admits

JUBA, NOV. 6, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s minister of water resources and irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, has acknowledged that his government was caught unawares by the unprecedented floods that have plagued the country for the past four years, displacing an estimated 900,000 people.

In an exclusive interview with Sudans Post while on a visit to Cairo on Thursday, Hon. Mai who was appointed one year ago conceded that the government was unprepared for the severity of the floods, which he attributed to torrential rains.

“For quite some years, we never had such kinds of disasters,” Mai admitted. “We of course had floods but not to this extent and I think the government was not aware that such flood with such magnitude might affect the country.”

The minister lamented the devastating impact of the floods, which have caused widespread displacement, loss of agricultural land, and outbreaks of diseases, while disrupting livelihoods since it begins in 2019.

“As a result of that and because of lack of preparation the impact of these floods and torrential rains have become very damaging with quite many people displaced, loss of agricultural land and the outbreak of diseases and destruction of livelihoods,” he said.

When asked of his plan, the minister said the government is working to address the recurrent flooding that has plagued the country for the past four years. The plan, he said, includes the construction of dikes, embankments, and water reservoirs.

“What we are now doing as a government is to make sure that we come up with some solutions, but these solutions are not to be effective enough that even if, you know, another floods and torrential rains comes we will be able to prevent,” he said.

“But we are saying we need to construct dikes, we have to do embankment of the rivers, we have to make sure that affordable water is also provided for those that are affected by floods and water infrastructure such as dikes, canals and construction of large water reservoirs are in the plans and priorities of the government as I speak to you,” he added.

The senior government official further acknowledged that his government’s response plan is constrained by financial limitations but revealed that the government has secured funding from the World Bank to mitigate the impact of floods.

“But everything is related to finance; you have to have money for yourself to be able to translate these ideas. What we are actually doing is to mobilize the resources from donor communities and implement it so that we will have an intervention,” he said.

The impact of floods on the South Sudan population has been devastating, with widespread displacement, destruction of livelihoods, and a heightened risk of disease. According to UN estimates, floods have affected two-thirds of the country, uprooting an estimated 900,000 people to flee their homes, seeking refuge in higher grounds or displacement camps.

This massive displacement has put a strain on resources and infrastructure, exacerbating existing humanitarian challenges forced on the world’s youngest country by war. The floods have inundated agricultural land, disrupting farming activities and jeopardizing food security. Livestock has also been lost, further diminishing the livelihoods of many South Sudanese.

The floods have created breeding grounds for snakebites and mosquitoes, leading to an increase in malaria cases and other diseases. The displacement and overcrowding in camps have also increased the risk of other infectious diseases, such as cholera and diarrheal diseases.