Food distribution to floods victims. (Photo: NBGs).

Northern Bahr el Ghazal government on Thursday distributed food aid to about 1500 households displaced by floods which have killed three people this week and flattened more than 2000 shelters and critical infrastructures.

The state governor, Simon Ober Mawut, officially launched the distribution of the relief food to the vulnerable populations who are now camped along the main roads in Aweil town.

According to a statement from his office, the distribution primarily targets the most severely affected households with each family receiving a 25-kilogram sack of maize flour, while, a 50-kg sack of rice is shared between two households.

“The floods have caused severe damage to lives and property, killing three (3) people this week including a mother and an infant in Nyinaluk residential area of Aweil town,” the statement said.

It added that the disaster destroyed about 2,300 homes and other important infrastructures such as schools and government facilities, prompting the state government to initiate rapid-response efforts to alleviate the suffering of the hardest-hit families.

The government’s Disaster Risk Management Council (DRMC), appeals to UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to help provide more relief assistance to the flood victims across the state.

The state government further “urges residents in the most flood affected areas to evacuate to higher ground as it continues to respond to the worsening situation.”

The UN humanitarian agency (UN-OCHA) said its inter-agency needs assessment in Northern Bahr el Ghazal counties found 154,960 people severely impacted by floods, with Aweil East and Aweil South most affected.

“Essential services have been disrupted, with 29 health facilities, 103 water points and 127 schools damaged. Over 53,100 farmers and cattle keepers lost crops and livestock.,” OCHA said on September 26.