Floods kill 19, displace 175,000 and threaten millions in South Sudan: UN

Juba: Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding in South Sudan, killing 19 people and affecting nearly 640,000 across 26 counties in six states, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

OCHA said on Friday that almost 175,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge on higher ground in 16 counties. The agency warned that health risks are mounting, with rising cases of malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea.

At least 121 health facilities have been affected by the floods, while authorities have reported 144 snake bites and 3,391 malnutrition cases across 11 counties, Xinhua news agency reported.

The warning follows an alert by Save the Children, which estimated that 1.4 million people in South Sudan could face flooding this year, with above-average rainfall forecast for October and November. The charity has also reported a surge in waterborne diseases and snake bites, heightening public health concerns.

Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan, cautioned that the hunger crisis is worsening and remains severely underreported despite being among the most serious globally.

“What lies ahead for children in South Sudan could be catastrophic. The heavy rainfall has already submerged towns and is expected to continue for weeks,” he said.

Nyamandi noted that aid cuts have hampered the charity’s relief efforts, with a $3.1 million budget reduction earlier this year forcing staff cuts in nutrition and child protection programs.

The flooding has devastated farmland, homes, schools and health centers, leaving 379,000 people displaced. The crisis has deepened food shortages nationwide, with 7.7 million people facing acute hunger and 2.3 million children under five at risk of acute malnutrition.

Save the Children warned that about 83,000 people, particularly in Upper Nile state, are enduring famine-like conditions.