The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 2.3 million Swiss francs (USD 2.4 million/EUR 1.7 million) to mitigate the devastating effects of floods in South Sudan, currently affecting over 50,000 people.
The people affected urgently need help with shelter, access to clean water, and emergency health and care services. The Sudanese Red Crescent (SRCS) has over 2,400 volunteers currently assisting with search and rescue operations, distribution of shelter items and putting in place health, water and sanitation measures to mitigate the effects of the flooding.
The most affected areas are: Jonglei, Lakes, Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Central Equatorial and Upper Nile.
“We allocated emergency items which the Sudanese Red Crescent distributed to flood-affected areas. In addition we deployed 15 medical personnel. These comprised ten medical doctors and five medical laboratory technicians who offered health services to the flood-affected communities in these areas,” said Osman Gafewr Abdullah, Secretary General of the Sudanese Red Crescent following his recent visit to Jongeli and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states.
Rains have intensified since July this year, causing destruction to property and infrastructure in a country that is still healing from years of instability. Most of the affected population has been caught unprepared by the seasonal rain. Unusually high levels of precipitation, coupled with heavy rainfall from the Ethiopian and Eritrean Plateau, has overwhelmed Sudan’s rivers, leading them to burst their banks and flood farmland and settlements.
“The continued rains put so much pressure on the weak infrastructure that over 22,000 houses have totally collapsed and many roads are now impassable, hindering the Red Crescent operation,” said Dietrich Fischer, the IFRC’s country representative in Sudan. He added, “We will focus now on the immediate needs, but will also look at long-term solutions such as the rehabilitation of the water supply and not only restoring livelihoods, but making them more resilient to future catastrophes.”
The IFRC has already released 346,944 Swiss francs (USD 337,817/EUR 265,791) from its disaster relief emergency fund to provide immediate assistance.