South Sudan plans intervention in flood ravaged states

August 30, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan cabinet has passed a resolution to organize for a humanitarian intervention as most of the country’s states are ravaged by flooding.

Seven states including Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and parts of Central Equatoria state are reported to have been affected by the floods resulting from heavy rains during the last few weeks.

Reports from government and non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations Organization for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) said 65% of the countries’ roads are inaccessible, making it difficult for security and humanitarian interventions throughout the nation.

The natural disaster has interrupted movement of populations as well as destroy homes and farms across the country.

Due to flooding in Jonglei state where nine out of eleven counties are inaccessible, South Sudan army last week announced that it could not move its troops to rescue populations of Twic East County who came under attack by armed cattle-raiders suspected to have come from their neighbouring Murle community.

In a meeting on Friday chaired by president Salva Kiir Mayardit, the meeting constituted a task-force of eight ministers headed by the cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomoru to map out the flood affected areas in the country.

The acting spokesperson of the government, Rachel Nyadak Paul, told the press that the task-force will study and recommend to the cabinet how best the government should carry out an emergency intervention in the affected areas.

(ST)