The Vice President for Youth, Gender and Humanitarian Cluster has called on the International Community to help save the lives people affected by floods in the country.
Rebecca Nyandeng De-Mabior made the remarks while delivering her speech at the 76th session of United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Friday.
“We call upon members states to aggressively respond to the call for action to further cut emission if we are to avoid catastrophes situation that will be a defining moment for mankind”, she told delegates.
South Sudan is highly vulnerable to climate change, including flooding, droughts and, most recently, a locust infestation.
Long-term climate change, like a gradual increase in temperature, and short-term changes, like increased flooding, have indirect and interlinked implications for peace and security in South Sudan.
Every year, South Sudan experiences torrential rains and seasonal flooding, including disaster displacements.
The UN refugee agency says an estimated 380,000 people have been affected by flooding in six states since May, with Jonglei and Unity the most affected.
Across Jonglei and Unity State, homes and clinics have been submerged, communities have been stranded and animals “lie dead in the fields”, WFP said in a statement. Schools that were due to open next week “are filled with the homeless”.
The WFP official described the flooding as likely the worst in 60 years and explained that this year’s rains had begun before last year’s flood waters had receded fully.
Some 5.5 million people in the country need humanitarian assistance, according to WFP, representing half the total population.
Editor’s Note: Earlier, we reported in the article above that: “According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or UNOCHA, more than 5.5 million people are in need of a humanitarian assistance due to torrential rains in South Sudan.” That statement is incorrect. The above is the correct version of the article that is attributed to World Food Program NOT the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or UNOCHA.