By Lodu Willliam Odiya
Over 100,000 people has been displaced by what the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has called “new deadly floods” in South Sudan.
according to the statement released by the Agency on September 12, this year, widespread flooding has engulfed large parts of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states in the north of the country.
the statement underscored the agency’s representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney, said that “if the flooding continues, up to 400,000 people are likely to be displaced by the end of the year, exceeding flood displacement levels seen in 2024” the statement partly read.
It further noted that the situation is expected to be at its worst between September and October and threatens to “cut off entire communities, exacerbate hunger and heighten protection risks, particularly for women and girls,” Ms. Verney added according to the statement.
The statement stressed that for several years, South Sudan had faced an ongoing humanitarian crisis due to underdevelopment, disasters and conflict that has displaced many communities.
It also stated that the recurrent floods had exacerbated this displacement, destroyed homes, and threatened livelihoods across the nation.
“Homes, schools, health facilities, farmlands, and pastures have been flooded, devastating livestock and inundating safe water sources and latrines, which have worsened sanitation and heightened health risks” the statement read.
It noted that stagnant water, combined with limited access to safe drinking water, is raising the threat of further disease outbreaks on top of the ongoing cholera crisis, which had already affected over 12,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,100 refugees by the end of August.
according to the statement, in 2025, UNHCR, in collaboration with the South Sudanese authorities and UN partners, has continued to provide life-saving aid, including cash, emergency shelters, and plastic sheeting to 150,000 of the most vulnerable flood-affected individuals.
It underscored over the past five years work has been carried out to mitigate flood impacts by reinforcing dykes, prepositioning supplies, supporting livelihoods, and assisting displaced communities, including IDPs.
The statement further highlighted that the UNHCR had appealed for more funds to carry out its life-saving work.
additionally, As of 31 July, it had only received a third of the nearly $300 million required to protect and assist displaced people and local host communities in the country.
It stated that in Unity state, which is 70 per cent underwater, UNHCR had significantly scaled down operations due to the funding shortfall, leaving thousands of people in a more precarious situation.
South Sudan, reeling from its recent civil war, where four consecutive years of historic flooding have exacerbated food and livelihood insecurity.