Ongoing floods and the recent conflict in the Abyei Administrative Area have deprived more than 9,000 school-going children of learning, officials there said.
The director general of Abyei’s education ministry, John Ajang, told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that learning has been brought to a near stop as pupils are displaced and cannot access their schools.
“About 15 schools were affected by floods in Abyei, Rumamer county has three affected schools, and Mijak county also has three primary schools displaced by floods. Alal county has three schools affected except one while the Abyei municipality has seven primary schools which were all affected by rains and floods including one missionary school,” he said.
Ajang said the number of children missing school could be higher as they do not have statistics from missionary schools affected by the floods.
He explained: “Ganga Primary School in Mijak county has a total of 1,205 children displaced of which 613 are male and 592 are female pupils. Majak Primary School has 791 displaced pupils a total of which 550 are female and male pupils make 241 in number and Ayombuony Primary School has 23 displaced female pupils and 38 male pupils, a total of 62 pupils because it is a rural school.”
The education official noted that more than 1,500 pupils have been affected by conflict and floods in Rumamer county’s Machbuong, Rumamer, and Mabior primary schools.
Ajang added that All county’s Mading Achueng, Manyang, Akechnhial, and Awuolnhom primary schools have also been destroyed by the floods.
In the Abyei municipality, 149, 281, 1318, 1600, and 612 pupils from the Wunruok, Nyinkuech, Abyei Girls, Abyei Boys, and Louis Nyok primary schools were equally affected,
According to Ajang, once flood waters subside, learning will resume compensating for the lost time.
Bith Ajak, Abyei chief confirmed and said that they will meet the ministry to see the possible ways of resumption.
Violent conflict between local youths and those from neighboring Twic County in Warrap State claimed over 17 lives and displaced thousands of civilians.
Ajak Deng Miyen, the Abyei area’s minister of information, said the humanitarian situation is worsened by flooding, making it hard for the displaced families to get support. He pointed out that flooding has hindered governmental activities in the Abyei Administrative Area.