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Sarah Fefer
According to the United Nations, flooding in South Sudan has affected more than 780,000 people so far, with the figure anticipated to climb in the coming months. By the end of October, the number of people affected by the floods in counties like Fangak was predicted to rise from 75% to nearly 100%. Other areas affected are Jonglei and Unity that border the White Nile and the Sudd marshlands.
As there has been several cases of conflict in Sudan due to fierce competition over resources (e.g. Land Cruiser war 2003), the immigration of people in parts of Sudan to others further instigate conflict as there is an increased competition of resources. Furthermore, this has paved the way for health concerns as crops have been destroyed leading to malnutrition and there has been a 30% increase in snake bites. Read the full article to learn more about the South Sudan Flood Crisis and climate change.
WFP is providing food and nutrition aid to 300,000 people in South Sudan, accounting for 40% of those affected by the country's periodic floods. Communities are also being helped to adapt and recover from climate shocks by building dykes to manage floodwaters and safeguard farmlands and people, as well as restoring roads to connect people to local markets and key services.
However, humanitarian demands in South Sudan continue to outstrip resources, putting WFP's emergency operations and livelihoods programs at risk of running out of money. WFP requires $568 million in the next six months to keep its operations running. The Sudanese government has set out ten million dollars to address this.
Faith Kasina, the regional spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in East Africa, said: “As UNHCR we are seeing this as [an] intensive, fine effect of climate change. South Sudan has been very prone to cyclical droughts and floods, sometimes happening at the same time in a year, and this is nothing but just the effects of a change in climate.”
The root of this problem stems from climate change, and to prevent this problem from happening again climate change would have to be tackled. It is also important to note that nations such as China, India, and the United States are amongst the largest contributors to climate change, therefore the actions of these nations are inadvertently affecting less developed countries in serious conditions, and monitoring their fossil fuel consumption would be highly effective in creating a long term solution.
References:
"‘Worst Thing In Lifetime’: South Sudan Floods Affecting 700,000". aljazeera.com, 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/22/flooding-called-worst-thing-in-my-lifetime-in-south-sudan.
"The Rising Cost Of The Climate Crisis In Flooded South Sudan – In Pictures". The Guardian, 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/30/the-rising-cost-of-the-climate-crisis-in-flooded-south-sudan-in-pictures.
"U.N. Blames Worst South Sudan Floods Since 1962 On Climate Change". Reuters, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/un-blames-worst-south-sudan-floods-since-1962-climate-change-2021-10-19/.