South Sudan is facing severe flooding that has displaced over 226,000 people, submerged homes, and impacted healthcare facilities. Climate change has intensified the flooding during the rainy season, leading to a humanitarian crisis compounded by rising malaria and cholera cases. WHO is responding with emergency health kits and coordinated health services to mitigate the impacts of this disaster.
South Sudan is currently experiencing its most severe flooding in decades, leading to significant devastation across the country, displacing over 226,000 individuals. With 42 out of 78 counties impacted, the flooding has destructively submerged homes and essential infrastructure, rendering many areas inaccessible. Notably, 58 health facilities have been affected, and nearly 90 others are currently unreachable due to the heavy inundation, with critical roads linking these locations to the capital, Juba, severely compromised. As of October 4, 2024, approximately 890,000 individuals have reported adverse effects from the floods. Repeated heavy rainfall during the rainy season from April to November traditionally induces flooding; however, climate change has intensified the severity of these weather patterns, stretching local resilience and occasionally resulting in permanent displacement for certain communities. This flooding crisis compounds an already critical humanitarian scenario in South Sudan, which is presently hosting nearly 800,000 refugees and returnees who fled the armed conflict from neighboring Sudan. In Renk County, within the northern Upper Nile State—accounting for the arrival of 60% of these refugees—suspected cases of cholera have been reported alongside a rise in malaria infections, which have exceeded 120,000 cases with 31 suspected fatalities noted as of September 29, 2024. Additionally, there have been reports of 55 snakebite incidents within just five weeks. “People are in a heightened state of vulnerability due to multiple shocks. WHO is committed to work with the Ministry of Health and our partners to ensure that they have access to essential health services while prioritizing the response to growing humanitarian and health needs,” stated Dr. Humphrey Karamagi, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in South Sudan. In response, WHO has supplied approximately 88 metric tonnes of emergency health kits to affected regions, including Renk, Bentiu, Malakal, and Bor counties. These kits are meant to provide treatment for over 870,000 people and encompass critical medical supplies such as interagency emergency health kits, cholera investigation and treatment kits, antimalarial medications, and snakebite antivenoms. Since the onset of 2024, WHO has also distributed nearly 1,300 malaria kits across the nation, alongside prepositioning 20 cholera investigation kits and 9,200 stand-alone cholera rapid diagnostic tests capable of testing 9,400 samples. To amplify the response to this escalating health emergency, WHO collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health in scaling up health services. The organization leads coordination for the emergency health response, having recently conducted rapid assessments in Cueibet county to gather vital information and enhance health worker training in crisis situations. WHO aims to safeguard health facilities from damage and relocate vital medical supplies to safer locations. Alongside these efforts, WHO is vigilantly monitoring health impacts due to the floods, with an emphasis on vector-borne and waterborne diseases, thus facilitating on-the-ground health assistance to those affected. The organization is also engaged with governments across Africa in initiatives to bolster climate-resilient health systems capable of adapting to evolving threats while meeting existing healthcare demands. Recognizing climate change as a critical threat to public health, WHO asserts the necessity for robust legal, institutional, and operational frameworks to address health vulnerabilities associated with climate change. Through the development of solid evidence, WHO advocates for strategic adaptation and mitigation measures related to the health impacts of climate change, promoting sustainable investments to establish resilient health systems and infrastructure for protecting vulnerable communities.
The severe flooding in South Sudan stems from unprecedented rainfall exacerbated by climate change, impacting the country’s ability to cope with natural disasters. This flooding, prevalent during the rainy season from April to November, has compounded existing humanitarian crises as South Sudan manages a substantial influx of refugees from neighboring conflicts. With ongoing health emergencies, these floods have led to increased incidents of disease and inadequate access to healthcare, threatening already vulnerable populations.
In conclusion, the floods in South Sudan are not only causing immediate displacement but are also significantly impacting the healthcare system and public health. With widespread destruction of infrastructure and emergent health threats such as cholera and malaria, WHO is actively engaged in providing emergency assistance and scaling health responses. Addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change and health crises remains essential for building a resilient future for both the health system and affected communities.
Original Source: www.afro.who.int
