Devastating floods triggered by heavy rains have affected over 1 million people in South Sudan, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The flooding has displaced approximately 271,000 individuals across 42 of the country’s 78 counties, with Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states among the hardest hit regions.
OCHA warned that the situation could worsen, with up to 3.3 million people at risk between September and December as many areas face the threat of becoming impassable. Currently, 15 vital supply routes have been cut off due to heavy rainfall and floods, severely limiting access to essential goods and services.
South Sudan, already grappling with high levels of acute food insecurity, is seeing the crisis exacerbated by the flooding. Natural disasters like these, combined with prolonged dry spells and rising food prices, have left 7.1 million people—about half the country’s population—facing severe food shortages this year.
The humanitarian situation has been further compounded by the influx of over 630,000 returning South Sudanese citizens and around 200,000 refugees escaping the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan, placing additional strain on resources and relief efforts.