The National Council of Ministers on Thursday recommended to President Salva Kiir to declare a national disaster in five states and the Abyei Administrative Area affected by floods.
Addressing reporters after an extraordinary meeting chaired by President Kiir, Deputy Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services Minister Dr Jacob Maiju Korok said they had listened to a presentation from the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry on the floods that have affected hundreds of thousands of people.
“Albino Akol Atak, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, presented an update on the floods. The floods have affected people and animals since the start of the rainy season. So far, 772,000 people across 38 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area, with the population of 198,000, have been verified as displaced,” Korok said
“The floods have also destroyed schools, hospitals and other important infrastructure and the government and partners were working together to mitigate the impact.”
“The peak of the floods is expected to be in November, so the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs requested the Council of Ministers to recommend to President Salva Kiir to declare a national disaster in the affected states like Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity State, Warrap, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal and Abyei Administrative Area. The presentation was unanimously passed,” he said .
Dr Korok also said the Cabinet listened to a presentation from the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, on the Nyemur or Limur Multi-Purpose Water Development Project between South Sudan and Uganda.
He said the main objective of the project is to construct two dams for irrigation and water supply in Uganda and South Sudan, initiate irrigation schemes in both countries and to provide water for both humans and livestock.
“The total cost of this project is estimated at US$96 million, US$36 million of which is a budget for the dam inside South Sudan,” he said.
He added that the Minister for Irrigation would provide maps for the specific areas and make further consultations with other stakeholders, including the communities.
Dr Korok said Mining Minister Martin Gama presented a memo on joining the African Mineral and Geoscience Center based in Dar Salam Tanzania, which he requested the Council to approve.
“By joining the Center, the ministry will benefit from training and expertise and other collaborations. The Council of Ministers directs the Ministry of Finance to pay the annual subscription, which is about US$65,000,” he said, adding that the memo was endorsed unanimously.