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South Sudan

South Sudan - Old Fangak: Flood Assessment (IRNA), August 2021

Attachments

Situation Highlights

The Humanitarian situation has deteriorated in Fangak due to flooding. The flooding is as a result of excessive rainfall and overflows from Phow river which has caused both pluvial and fluvial floods. The people of Fangak are living in a dire situation due to the effects of flooding. The hazard of flooding has surpassed the local capacity to cope with the effects of the floods resulting in the need for external support and intervention. The situation in Old Fangak and surrounding areas now calls for external support so that the community of Fangak may bounce back better and recover from the devastating effects of the floods.
The floods have indeed become a disaster in Old Fangak. Due to the devastating effects of flooding, humanitarian agencies operating in Old Fangak and surrounding areas convened to conduct a spot check assessment. The IRNA was organized and conducted for two days on August 20th and 23rd August 2021 to determine the level of severity of flooding on the affected population living in Old Fangak, Nyadin and surrounding villages.

Most villages in Old Fangak and surrounding areas are completely submerged in water. The water level is continuously rising with rains. Fangak County is situated in the middle of the two rivers that joined in New Fangak. The flooding is a continuation of last year’s floods, where the water level did not go down even during the dry season. The onset of the rains in April 2021 exacerbated the already dire situation resulting in a humanitarian crisis.

The findings from the IRNA indicate that the majority of the people living in Old Fangak and surrounding areas like Nyadin and the surrounding villages have been severely affected. Key informant interviews, transect walks, focus group discussions and general observations were employed during the IRNA. It has been established that since 2020, the general population of Old Fangak and surrounding areas did not fully engage in livelihood activities such as crop and livestock production. The situation worsened in 2021 where cultivation of crops has become impossible due to flooding. Most households have relocated their livestock to higher grounds. People have also been displaced by the flooding to higher ground where they are now living in temporary IDP camps with no basic needs such as shelter, food, sanitation and health care. The threat of COVID-19 has also worsened the already bad situation. The floods have submerged and swept away people’s homes, schools, water points, health centres, markets, food warehouses, humanitarian agencies compounds, airstrips, food drop zones and food distribution points. The floods have rendered some of the villages completely inaccessible making it difficult to provide the much-needed assistance.
The most priority needs of the flood affected people which needs an immediate provision are comprising of food security and livelihoods, Shelter NFIs, WASH NFIs and health to mitigate the effects of the flooding.
Most structure have been affected by the recent flooding and children are now learning under trees and others cannot access teaching and learning facilities because of swamp which full of water.