Flooded homestead in Gogrial West. (-)

At least 10 cases of snakebite have been recorded in a remote village in Gogreal West in Warrap this month, authorities said, amid overwhelming floods in most parts of the state.

The state floods management committee carried out an assessment in Mangar Ajak Area of Gogrial West County on Sunday and discovered the trend of snake attacks.

Warrap State Information Minister William Wol Mayom also said a river passing between Gogrial West and East counties has burst its banks and submerged nearby settlements – displacing over 200 households.

“On Sunday, we carried out flooding management committee assessment in the area called Mangar Ajak of Gogrial West County. In our assessment ,10 reported cases of snake bite and over 200 households affected and displaced alongside the highway from Kuajok to Gogrial town,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

He added that the displaced populations are now sheltering on the highway connecting Kuajok and Gogrial.

Mayom also laments a surge in malaria and cattle diseases in Mangar Ajak village.

“They also talked about high malaria cases and cattle disease in the area of Mangar Ajak as well as other villages that we are yet to visit. This flooding is caused by the river over flow that is passing through Gogrial west and Gogrial East.”

In August 2024, the entire Warrap State recorded 21 people bitten by snakes – two of whom died in Tonj North County following flooding caused by torrential rains in the area.

Since May, flooding has affected more than 735,000 people across 38 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said.

It adds that the floods have destroyed homes, crops and infrastructure, disrupting health and education services and heightening disease risks.