Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The number of people affected by flooding has crossed the one million benchmark in 42 counties across South Sudan, UN humanitarian agency said, as a $78-million budget that the government approved in July for floods victims has not been released.
UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) said flooding continues to inundate villages and displace thousands of people countrywide, including in the border region of Abyei.
The agency said about 271,000 people have since been displaced in nearly 20 counties, with Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states becoming the most severely hit – making up 40 percent of the flood-affected population.
“About 271,000 people are displaced by floods in 17 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area, seeking refuge on higher ground,” the agency said in its October humanitarian snapshot.
It further said heavy rainfall and flooding have rendered 15 key supply routes impassable, thus restricting physical access, adding that the figure could by far higher because some of the flood-impact areas are pending verification.
In July 2024, the national cabinet approved 78 million US dollars to respond to the flooding that had been predicted to affect 3 million people.
But the budget has not been released by the Ministry of Finance and Planning under unclear circumstances.
President Salva Kiir is expected to declare a national disaster over the floods wrecking havoc across the north and central parts of the country after an extraordinary cabinet meeting in October 3 approved a request for such declaration.
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