Authorities in Mayiendit County of Unity State have said that a total of 11 people have drowned in flood waters while 21 others were bitten by snakes and 8,840 households have been displaced from their homes in the last three months.
Dr. Gatluak Nyang, the commissioner of Mayiendit County said there has been massive displacement of the communities from three villages on high grounds in the south of the county.
“The situation is very bad due to the floods. The floodwaters are now increasing and the displacement is very huge,” he said. “In Mayiendit South, we were having 5 high ground areas but now 3 of them have been totally flooded and the people are displaced. In Gatluak Payam, more than 99 percent are displaced and it is the same in Miirnyiel and even in Thakhker.”
Dr. Nyang said after carrying out an assessment, they recorded a total of 8,840 displaced households.
“So, the number of displaced Individuals is 59,345 according to the last assessment,” he said. “The only remaining 2 islands are Bapier and Dhargabi and the 3 islands which are flooded are Padia, Dhargabi, and Luoi.”
“We have registered 21 cases of snake bites and the victims are currently in Mayiendit county hospital and 11 deaths from drowning between July and 1 September,” he added.
According to Dr. Nyang, there is a shortage of medicine in the affected areas, and the situation is made worse by poor hygiene and resultant outbreaks of water-borne diseases, snake bites, and miscarriages by pregnant women. He said so far they have recorded 15 cases of miscarriages.
“This is a very serious situation and we had a meeting with UN OCHA, FAO, and other partners and they are now in Mayiendit County carrying out an assessment on the ground,” he said. “My advice to the people is that we have to be patient because this is a natural disaster.