Floods in South Sudan

Background information

Since September 2023, South Sudan has been struggling with devastating seasonal floods that have already affected over 900,000 people. The Upper Nile region has been particularly hard hit. More than 420,000 people have now been displaced from their home villages by these floods and are now seeking refuge in temporary camps. The floods have destroyed vast areas of agricultural land and numerous livestock have drowned. Over two thirds of the year's harvest was lost, drastically exacerbating the already critical food shortages and livelihoods of the affected communities. In many flooded areas, there have been outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera and acute diarrhea. Important infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water systems have been destroyed. This makes the provision of humanitarian aid considerably more difficult.

The crisis was further exacerbated by the opening of the Jinja Dam on Lake Victoria in Uganda. After the water level of Lake Victoria exceeded its maximum level, the dam was opened in July for the first time in 128 years, resulting in a continuous flow of 2400 cubic meters of water - the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool - per second into South Sudan. This has caused river levels to continue to rise sharply, particularly in the Upper Nile region. Entire villages have been destroyed and many families have had to flee to higher ground, where basic resources are lacking. The Upper Nile, Lakes, Unity and Warrap regions are particularly affected.

Target groups

The project is aimed at 1,463 families in the Upper Nile region. The target group includes particularly vulnerable and marginalized people, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities. Women and girls are particularly at risk, as they are exposed to an increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence in the overcrowded camps. The surrounding communities also benefit indirectly, as the entire region is better prepared for future crises by strengthening infrastructure, disaster preparedness and resilience measures. In addition, supporting local structures promotes the long-term stability and social fabric of the affected communities.

Activities

The flooding crisis in South Sudan poses a massive and immediate threat to the lives and livelihoods of affected communities. There is a shortage of basic relief items such as food, beds, blankets and other essential materials. With the situation predicted to worsen, comprehensive and coordinated emergency relief is urgently needed, particularly through food distributions and the provision of emergency shelter. To address the immediate and long-term impact of the flooding in the Upper Nile region, we are pursuing the following main objectives and measures:

Immediate humanitarian emergency aid:

• Provision of relief supplies such as food, medicines and other essential non-food items.
• Construction and expansion of temporary refugee camps with access to clean water, sanitary facilities and healthcare.
• Measures to prevent and combat waterborne diseases in order to contain their spread.

Reconstruction and resilience:

• Helping affected communities rebuild their homes, restore livelihoods and repair key infrastructure.
• Promoting sustainable land and water management practices to mitigate the long-term effects of flooding.
• Disaster preparedness and flood prevention training in the municipalities.

Flood prevention and early warning systems:

• Strengthening local and national authorities to monitor and predict flood events.
• Passing on early warnings to communities at risk via various communication channels.
• Provision of emergency teams and supplies at strategic locations for rapid deployment.

Comprehensive flood management:

• Working with government and stakeholders to develop and implement flood management guidelines.
• Inclusion of flood risk reduction measures in national and local development plans.
• Promoting cooperation between government authorities and international organizations to manage floods and strengthen resilience.

These measures aim not only to provide emergency relief, but also to strengthen the capacity and resilience of local communities to better withstand and recover from future floods.