South Sudan to install early warning systems
By Julius N. Uma
September 14, 2010 (JUBA) – The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) will soon establish an early warning system, equipped with modern instruments capable of detecting anticipated natural disasters like floods, revealed James Kok Ruei, minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.
“My Ministry will work closely with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry once this early warning system is established. As a government, we feel our communities need to be capacitated to know how to respond to any disaster situation they are faced with,” Kok told the media during the weekly media forum organized by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Currently, an estimated nearly 27,000 people have been displaced by flood in Southern Sudan states of Warrap, Unity, Jonglei and Northern Bahr El Ghazal, with the latter most affected.
According to the Minister, about 11,230 have been left homeless in Aweil, the state capital of Northern Bahr El Ghazal, while less than 500 have so far been resettled in highlands.
“The humanitarian situation in Aweil is pathetic. We are kindly requesting all stakeholders, humanitarian agencies and other organizations to help rescue the situation before it runs out of hand,” he appealed.
The Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Minister lauded the Federal Government and the Humanitarian Aid Commission in Khartoum for its generous contribution of 500 tents and food items, considered essential elements among flood victims. The GoSS reportedly sent 5,000 bags of cereals to Aweil.
Meanwhile, William Achuil, the Director of Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) has appealed to southerners in the north and the Diaspora to benefit from the assisted repatriation plan that has been drawn by government.
SSRRC is an independent humanitarian institution established by the southern government to handle issues of repatriation, relief, re-integration, rehabilitation and resettlement (5Rs).
“SSRRC is closely working with the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Ministry to ensure that our people properly return to their homes. It is our responsibility to ensure that such people are assisted,” the SSRRC Director told journalists.
Recent UN statistics indicate that nearly 1.5 million southern Sudanese are currently living in the north, yet the country’s 5th Population and Housing Census, held in 2008 put the figure at a mere 500,000.
With Sudan’s referendum just months away, critiques are of the view that the inflated southern population is a ploy by the Khartoum regime to undermine next year’s vote on self-determination.
“We need to check these figures properly. Does that mean the population of southerners in the north almost tripled just two years after the census was conducted”? Dr. Barnabas Marial Benjamin, the GoSS Information and Broadcasting Minister queried.
(ST)
murlescrewed
South Sudan to install early warning systems
This is pure theatrics. How do you establish early warning system instead of putting place mechanisms to deal with the situation? South Sudan is already suffering from many problems such as hunger and GoSS is not doing much.
Our leaders know how to put out statements that when placed under scrutiny does not hold much wait. It is meant for the consumption of largely uneducated population that is still held hostage by greedy few who have invested our money outside the country.
Nhial Reath Thoan
South Sudan to install early warning systems
Your Excellency Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disasters Management, may you please with your an Early Warning System open your arms to people of Southern Sudan at large and reach even the State where the puppet Governors were appointed recently by GoSS through / by a mistake.
Where people are suffering under their incompetency leadership specially Uppernile State. No one is able to report the people `s disasters,cause the Ministers he appointed are good for nothing (Minister of information in state).
Thank you for your work for the people of Southern Sudan.
Aarai Baka
South Sudan to install early warning systems
Yea it sounds good to have the warning systems for natural disasters like flooding but we dont have warning systems to detect incoming jets fighters from north if they tried to invaded South if seperated from the rest of Sudan, Southern Sudanese politician need to be carefull from the northern nif since they outpaced the South for these five years periods of CPA, while our politician are busy looting the all the budgets of 50% of South to themselves but forget what will come for the incoming seperation.
Aarai Baka is a concerning Southerner about his people, not like Gatwech who betrayed his people for dish of food to feed his glutonies groups(traitors).