South Sudan minister for humanitarian affairs and disaster management Peter Mayen Majongdit and the minister of water resources and irrigation Peter Gatkuoth visited Unity State on Sunday the assess the impact of floods on the local communities.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, the minister of information and communication in Unity State Gabriel Hon Makuei Bol said that the two ministers made promises to help the flood-affected victims in the state.
"They want to see for themselves the realities on the ground. The minister of water resources and irrigation Peter Gatkuoth has promised that there will be a company that will drain and create waterways to clear the water, and the minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management Peter Mayen Majongdit promised the citizens that they will deliver food items to those affected as soon as possible," he said.
Hon said it is not clear when the promises will be fulfilled because the ministers still have to present a report to the presidency, adding that the $10 million approved by the council of ministers for flood-affected communities is for the whole nation.
The state headquarters, Bentiu, the state ministry of animal resources and fisheries, physical infrastructure, and some secondary and primary schools are underwater, Hon noted.
"The minister of water resources and irrigation Peter Gatkuoth was here to see the magnitude of flooding and to see how he will utilize the water and open up the rivers so that the water can be taken by the trunk of the river. The minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management Peter Mayen Majongdit is dealing with the crisis management caused by floodwaters on local communities trying to see what he can do," Unity State minister of physical infrastructure, lands, and public utilities, Lam Tungwar Kueigong confirmed.
The ministers then traveled to Upper Nile state for the same mission.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs about 146,000 people have been severely affected by floods in Unity State.