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Massive floods have once again devastated much of South Sudan, as record water levels in Lake Victoria flow downstream through the Nile. More than 700,000 people have been affected. Hundreds of thousands of people have already been forced to leave their homes due to massive flooding. A few years ago and they had not yet returned when this new threat arose.
There are now concerns that these displaced communities may never be able to return to their lands. While extreme weather events periodically displace entire communities in other parts of the world, this could be the first permanent mass displacement due to climate change.
In the Sudd region of South Sudan, the Nile flows through a vast network of smaller rivers, swamps and floodplains. It is one of the largest wetlands in the world. Flood levels vary significantly from year to year, mainly due to fluctuations in the water levels of Lake Victoria and controlled releases from the dam in Uganda where the lake flows into the Nile.
The Sudd’s unique geography means that flooding there is very different to that elsewhere. Most flood water cannot drain freely into the main channel of the White Nile, and the water struggles to infiltrate the clay and silty soil of the floodplain. This means that flooding persists for a long time, often only receding when the water evaporates.
People can’t stand it anymore
Communities living in the Sudd, including the Dinka, Nuer, Anyuak and Shilluk, are well adapted to the regular ebb and flow of seasonal flooding. Pastoralists move their livestock to higher ground when flood waters rise, while earth walls Compressed mud pits protect homes and infrastructure. During the flood season, fishing sustains local communities. When the floods recede, crops such as peanuts, okra, pumpkins, sorghum and other vegetables are planted.
However, record water levels and the long duration of recent flooding have put these indigenous survival mechanisms to the test. conflict in the country has further reduced their ability to cope. Community elders who spoke to our colleagues at the humanitarian medical aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières said that fear of conflict and violence prevented them from moving to the areas of safe ground they had found during a period of major flooding in the early 1960s.
Around 2.6 million people Between 2020 and 2022 alone, 1,000 people were displaced in South Sudan, as a result of both conflict and violence (1 million) and flooding (1.5 million). In practice, the two are interlinked, as flooding has forced displaced pastoralists from their homes. Get into conflict with farmers residing on the land.
Stagnant flood waters also leads to an increase in waterborne infections such as cholera and hepatitis Esnake bites and vector-borne diseases such as malariaAs people become malnourished, these diseases become more dangerous. Malnutrition is already a big problem, especially for children. About 800,000 people who fled to South Sudan from Sudan after another conflict broke out there in April 2023.