Jonglei’s Twic East appeals for funds to repair dykes

By Philip Thon Aleu

August 24, 2011 (KAMPALA) – Twic East county in Jonglei state has appealed for funds to rebuild damaged dykes in order to avoid a “disastrous” loss of livestock and crops.

Twic East Commissioner Dau Akoi Jurkuch said that the cost of repairing the 34km of water ways is estimated to cost 802,000 South Sudanese Pounds ($300,205).

The Lutheran World Federation Sudan Program through EU funding has already committed SSP 200,000 (74,864 USD) to the project, commissioner Dau said. The repair work has commenced, with all the necessary machinery at the site, he added.

The county leader said failure to support the dyke building project would cause “havoc”, destroying crops and livestock leading to serious hunger and outbreaks of waterborne diseases in all districts of Twic East, causing massive displacements of people.

In an email to Sudan Tribune Commissioner Dau says he believes that contributing the money in time will enable a contracted company to use machinery to repair the levees and water ways within a week.

“In order to enable the Twic East community to complete the work, and avoid the impending disaster, Twic East County … is therefore appealing to the sons and daughters of Twic East County who are in South Sudan and the Diaspora and INGOs, UN Agencies, companies and good friends to help in raising the balance of SSP 602,000 to enable the completion of the work before the flood water submerges the whole county and thereby leading to a major disaster,” the letter says.

Heavy rains submerged part of road leading to Panyagor, the headquarters of Twic County last week cutting off food supplies to the population there. With increasing level of the River Nile River the low lying flood plains of central Jonglei are is expected to experience more flooding.

The UN has warned that more people in the newly independent Republic of South Sudan will need food assistance this year compared to previous years due to delayed rains and local insecurity.

Jonglei state lacks roads and is in the process of resettling returnees who have recently come back to South Sudan. The peace deal that end of war with North Sudan in 2005 concluded with South Sudan’s independence in July.

Despite the state’s fertile land most of the population rely on imported food items. Of the 333,406 people the UN estimate have returned to South Sudan since October last year 19,788 have arrived in Jonglei state.

(ST)