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DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT
Heavy rains since May this year, combined with an overflowing Lake Victoria, have caused the Nile River to burst its banks and threaten unprecedented flooding in ` Sudan, submerging villages and farmland.
By 10 October the situation was critical, with more than 893,000 people affected in 42 of the country’s 78 counties. More than 241,000 people have been displaced, in 16 counties, seeking shelter on higher ground.
The floods have caused extensive damage to homes and have devastated livestock and crops. Critical infrastructure has been severely damaged, cutting off supply routes and leaving communities without access to essential services such as healthcare and education for displaced people. The risk of disease outbreaks, particularly cholera and malaria, has increased significantly.
Displaced people are sheltering with relatives, in public buildings such as schools, in churches and in the open along roadsides. There are reports of increasing cases of malaria, respiratory infections, acute watery diarrhoea and snake bites. Many communities in flood-prone areas of Jonglei, northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile and Warrap states are projected to face extreme food insecurity, exacerbated by current flooding, with some areas reaching IPC Level 5.2 These regions host large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees, further compounding the challenges faced by these populations.
Flooding will have a particularly severe impact on communities that are already highly vulnerable following previous shocks, and the impact of these floods is likely to be exacerbated by ongoing conflict, limited access to basic services and high food insecurity. Consecutive shocks have resulted in protracted displacement and complex humanitarian conditions in most of the vulnerable areas. The cost-of-living crisis will also exacerbate existing vulnerabilities.
With rains persisting into November, the floods are just reaching their peak. Scenarios suggested that around 3.3 million people could be affected, making this the worst flooding on record. This includes communities still recovering from the devastating floods of 2019-2022, which displaced at least 1 million people.
The South Sudan Red Cross Society (SSRCS) has been preparing for and responding to these floods on the ground since May 2024. They have supported community preparedness and early-action activities such as clearing waterways, maintaining drainage channels and managing solid waste. SSRCS had already pre-positioned non-food items in strategic locations as well, based on available internal resources, to ensure rapid access to relief items in the event of flooding. This is in Wau, Bor, Bentiu and Juba. SSRCS have also supported the evacuation of communities from flood-prone areas to temporary safe havens and evacuation centres.
After requesting support from Partner National Societies, SSRCS was allocated DREF3 on 1 August 2024 to support the scale-up of early action. Through this Emergency Appeal, IFRC is requesting funds to enable SSRCS to scale up its ongoing lifesaving and response activities and to support further early action to mitigate the expected escalation of the current flooding.
In line with the role of SSRCS as an auxiliary to the Government, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management requested them, through a letter on 15 October 2024, to assist in supporting the affected population citing the then current high-impact areas needing support across all affected counties.