A home in the Abyei Area surrounded by floodwaters (File photo)

Abyei opens channels to tame floods

The Abyei Physical Infrastructure ministry has announced constructing four channels to rescue the people from the floods due to the heavy rains that continue to pound the area.

The minister in charge, Deng Kiir, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that they had accomplished the task with the support from the UNISFA Vietnamese Battalion.

“We have lots of rain water that has flooded homes, forcing the residents to stay along the roads,” he said.

“Today is the sixth day with Vietnamese opening water runways in the town and indeed some areas are now dry and people will return to their homes though there is still rain in Abyei,” he said.

The Vietnamese engineering team, Kiir explained, were working on the Athony and Malual Aleu roads to improve them for easy movement.

Information and Communication Minister Bulis Koch confirmed the development and said his ministry was working closely with other organizations to provide food and non-food items to the flood affected populations.

“We have engaged humanitarian organizations to provide plastic sheets, blankets, hand pumps and hygiene and sanitation materials. What we always do as government is to reserve food and mosquito nets and distribute them to the flood-affected people,” he said.

“We held a meeting with organizations on Monday and Wednesday to inform them to be ready. We will meet again next Monday for actual plans and then go for the implementation,” he added.