This article Reprinted from conversation Under Creative Commons License.
Large parts of South Sudan hit by severe floods again Record water levels It flows into the Nile downstream of Lake Victoria. 700,000 people Hundreds of thousands of people have already been forced from their homes by the devastating floods. years ago And they hadn’t even returned yet before this new threat emerged.
There are now fears these displaced communities may never return home. While extreme weather events frequently force entire communities to flee in other parts of the world, this could be the first permanent mass displacement due to climate change.
In South Sudan’s Sudd region, the Nile flows through a vast network of smaller rivers, swamps and floodplains – one of the largest wetlands in the world. Flood levels vary greatly from year to year, mainly due to fluctuations in the water level of Lake Victoria and controlled releases from dams in Uganda that drain the lake into the Nile.
Sudd’s unique topography means that flooding there is very different from other parts of the country: Most of the floodwaters cannot flow freely back into the White Nile’s main channel, and water struggles to infiltrate the floodplain’s clay and silty soils, meaning floods last for long periods of time and often subside as the water evaporates.
People can’t stand it anymore
The communities living in the Sudd, which include Dinka, Nuer, Anyak and Shilluk peoples, have adapted well to the normal ebb and flow of seasonal floodwaters. Herders move their cattle to higher ground when floodwaters rise, Clay wall Dikes made from compressed mud protect homes and infrastructure. Fishing supports local communities during flood season. When the floodwaters subside, vegetables such as groundnuts, okra, pumpkin and sorghum are planted.
However, the record water levels and long duration of recent floods have pushed these Indigenous peoples’ coping mechanisms to their limits. Internal conflicts Their ability to cope is further weakened: local elders who spoke to colleagues from the medical humanitarian charity Doctors Without Borders said fear of conflict and violence was preventing them from moving to safer areas they found during the devastating floods of the early 1960s.
The surrounding area 2.6 million In South Sudan, between 2020 and 2022, people were displaced due to both conflict and violence (1 million people) and floods (1.5 million people). In reality, the two are linked, and pastoralists displaced by floods Collision Negotiate with resident farmers over land.
Stagnant flood waters Connect Increase in water-borne diseases such as cholera Hepatitis Esnakebites, and vector-borne diseases. malariaThese diseases become more dangerous when people are malnourished. Malnutrition is already a big problem, especially in Approximately 800,000 people People who fled to South Sudan after another conflict began in Sudan in April 2023.
