Attachments
Description of the crisis
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. As of 15 November, about 1.4 million people remain affected by flooding across 44 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area. More than 379,000 people are flood-displaced across 22 counties and Abyei. In Upper Nile State, recent assessments identified over 32,000 flood-affected people in Renk County and 6,000 people in Maban County. In Renk and Malakal counties, humanitarian partners have reported a substantial rise in cholera cases due to inflows from Sudan, limited access to clean water and sanitation, and ongoing flooding 1 . 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. As of 11 February 2025, the number of suspected cases of Cholera has risen to 29,304 cases with 501deaths, and a case fatality rate (CFR) of 1.5%, justifying the RC/RC Movement mobilization and underscoring the urgent need for further action. Mayom County (northwest of Rubkona, Unity State) has in the past few days become the top hot spot with cumulative cases at 585 and CFR of 8.4 %, while Rubkona has recorded overall the highest number of cases during the outbreak (over 10,000). Cholera cases have now been reported in 30 of the 80 counties in the country and across seven states and one administration area. Especially in rural areas, poor surveillance outside of health facilities and on the other hand poor access to care are contributing to underreporting and deaths that could be prevented through community-based interventions. Misconceptions and lack of awareness, coupled with poor water and sanitation infrastructure are also contributing to harmful practices, adding to the spread of Cholera in vulnerable communities. Children are the most affected population with ages 0 to 4 years at 32.5% of cases followed by 5 to 14 years at 22.8% of cases 2 . Oral Cholera vaccination (OCV) campaigns have taken place in hotspot areas, with 1,400,000 people vaccinated (out of a total of 3,200,000 doses) as of 22nd of January 2025. While the peak of the outbreak has for now been passed (in Mid-January), the outbreak continues to spread to new communities. Flooding in the affected communities is having a particularly severe impact, especially in 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, high food insecurity, and the increasing cases in cholera. Consecutive shocks have resulted in protracted displacement and complex humanitarian conditions in most of the vulnerable areas. The main consequences of the flooding disaster include the destruction of homes, extensive crop damage, and loss of livestock resulting in loss of livelihoods and food insecurity, and damage to numerous health facilities and water structures. Additionally, physical access to flooded areas is limited, and vulnerable groups particularly women, children and the elderly are exposed to greater protection risks including food insecurity. The cost-of-living crisis also exacerbates existing vulnerabilities. The South Sudan Red Cross Society (SSRCS) has been responding to the floods and cholera situation since its onset. 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. SSRCS has also supported the evacuation of communities from flood-prone areas to temporary safe havens and evacuation centres.