Authorities in Ayod County of Jonglei State have warned of impending floods as the Jonglei Canal breaks its banks.
They have appealed for support to help them tackle the imminent disaster.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, the Ayod County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) coordinator, Stephen Kuac Biliu, said the water levels were on the rise, forcing villagers along the watercourse to vacate.
“The level of water in Jonglei Canal is increasing through the flow from the neighboring Duk County and as a result a section of the dyke has been broken. This is forcing the residents to evacuate, with 300 households having fled Loung area and 500 more vacating the village of Mar,” he said.
“The county headquarters could be flooded in the coming days unless the dyke is rehabilitated. If the worst happens, the already dire humanitarian situation will worsen,” Biliu said.
Ayod County Commissioner James Chuol Jiek said thousands of lives were threatened and appealed for support to rehabilitate the dyke.
“The humanitarian situation is already dire and it will worsen if people start losing their livelihoods to the floods. It is for this reason that we are pleading with our development partners to tackle the floods,” said Jiek.
“We need sand bags and tools for our youth to rebuild the broken section of the dyke,” he pleaded.
South Sudan is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including both long-term changes such as the gradual increase in temperature and short-term extreme climate events like increased flooding.
Additionally, the country is currently facing hunger crises, which is attributed to climate shocks and a widespread economic crisis.