Heavy rains have washed away 73 households rendering at least 458 people homeless in Tutyang Payam, Rubkuai, and Thaker payams in Mayendit County, Unity State.
A report by the area’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) on Wednesday indicated massive flooding caused by the heavy rains pounding the area.
RRC Deputy Director Gatloth Duop told Radio Tamazuj that 13 households had been affected in Thaker Payam alone following six hours of non-stop rainfall.
He said the RRC board had planned a meeting with the national NGOs within the week to discuss the Mayiendit flood situation.
One of flood victims, Mary Nyamai, said she lost her crops and household items.
“I was at the house with my five children when it rained for six hours, forcing us to move to the Rubkuai high ground.
“I am appealing to the RRC and NGOs to support us with plastics, food, and enough clean water,” Nyamai said.
James Kuony Bileu said he was displaced from Rubkuai village and has for the past two days been relying on well-wishers.
“All the people displaced from four payams need emergency humanitarian assistance. We need the national and the state governments to respond to our plight,” he said.
In May, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) issued the June to September 2024 seasonal forecast indicating an increased likelihood of above-normal rainfall over most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA).
According to reports, around 95 percent of South Sudan’s population relies on climate-sensitive natural resources, making them extremely vulnerable to rising temperatures, more erratic rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events driven by climate change.