Over the past 30 years, South Sudan has been among the most rapidly warming locations on the globe, with temperatures increasing as much as 0.53°C per decade - two and a half times greater than the global average. As the impacts of climate change continued to be felt across the world, the poorer countries such as South Sudan are massively impacted as disaster risk reduction plans, preparedness and resources are mostly very limited.
Flooding is an annual occurrence in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, however, they have been very intense over the past four years with this year’s floods expected to be the worst in 61 years – thus, a record flooding in two years. After receiving reports with staggering figures of affected population from the relief and rehabilitation commission (RRC), Aweil West county government and humanitarian actors operating in the county convened a planning meeting on Monday 29th August and unanimously agreed to conduct an inter-agency rapid needs assessment (IRNA) from Tuesday 30th to Wednesday 31st August to ascertain the degree of impact on local populations. The meeting was attended by the aforementioned aid agencies, county commissioner and heads of county departments such as health and nutrition, education, agriculture, information, and RRC director who all took part in the assessment except the commissioner. A similar planning meeting was conducted in Aweil North County on Thursday 1st September and assessment begun the same day in Malual West Payam where hundreds of households were witnessed migrating to camp on the road as the entire payam inundated. It was reported that same evening that a boat ferrying 25 passengers to a higher ground in Ayat East hit a tree and capsized leading to a tragic drowning of 8 passengers whose up to date, 3 bodies are yet to be recovered. From the assessment, all the 9 of Aweil West County and 7 payams in Aweil North County are majorly affected with huge number of bomas and villages facing flood incidences along with their devastating effects on the households.
Despite the late onset of rains this year, they have been heavy and consistent throughout June to August and as a result the soil got filled with rainwater and became saturated leading to flash flooding which is on the other hand coupled by riverine inundations from the overflows of both Chel and Makadhik Rivers that massively affected both counties. The floods affected settlements, farmlands eventually affecting seasonal harvests and killed a large number of livestock, more especially the shoats. Local church buildings, schools, health facilities, and physical infrastructure such as road networks were also impacted as most parts of the main roads in both counties are washed off by running water. People in most affected areas have reported very limited access to safe and clean drinking water, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. The floodwaters level is still rising and is expected to continue so in the coming weeks as heavy rains are anticipated throughout September, and there wouldn’t be any sign of recession soon which will result in more displacements and death of livestock. So far, more than 14,041 households are affected with an estimated 4,212 households displaced from their settlements in Aweil North County. In Aweil West County, and 13,158 households are affected with 2,595 households displaced in Aweil West County.
The displaced families are currently camping in schools, health centres, and churches and along the main roads in areas where the above public facilities are also affected.
Being a rapid needs assessment, there was no ample time to verify the affected households – this would be done during a house-to-house verification and registration should there be any emergency response. Gomjuer West, Gomjuer Centre, Ayat East, Ayat Centre, and Mariem East are the worst impacted payams in Aweil West County, with roughly over half of the population affected. In Aweil North County, Malual West, Malual North, Jaac, Malual Centre, and Malual East are the worst hit.
Current humanitarian conditions are so deplorable and appalling and cannot be viewed in isolation from extreme flooding in 2021 which exacerbate the existing vulnerabilities, and as a result, food availability was reduced as most crop fields were damaged with farmers only registering minimal harvest and yields. With this year’s floods already quantified to be worse than 2021 floods, many households would face a protracted food insecurity and much longer lean season.