Floods displace more than 18,000 in Maiwut County
Some 213 households were washed away and 18,000 civilians were displaced by flooded water,” Commissioner Gatdet Bol Bangoang said.
Three children reportedly died due to poor hygiene and sanitation, and another 200 cases were identified. Children are especially at risk from malaria, diarrhoea, cholera, pneumonia and other life threatening diseases.
Some 213 households were washed away and 18,000 civilians were displaced.”
Locals are now facing an outbreak of water-borne disease due to the stagnant water in residential areas.
Bol said affected civilians are temporarily sheltering in churches and schools as humanitarian agencies help them. He urged citizens to share the little food they have and called on those on high land areas to offer shelter to those without homes.
People across the region were struggling to cope, including residents in Pagak on the Ethiopian border. The water level was driven up by flooding from the Law River which flows from Ethiopia. The Law River often burst its banks during the rainy season in June, and then dries up in November.
We are working collectively with the civilians, to dig and build some channels for the flood water to flow away,” he said.
The Commissioner warned that the flood will likely trigger food shortages as large amounts of crops have been washed away. Humanitarian agencies are urgently needed in the affected areas to contribute food aid, medicine and shelter.
A source said that humanitarian agencies have provided some drugs like malaria tablets and chlorine tablets for locals, but added the supplies do not meet demand.
Business centres, roads, agricultural lands and schools were filled with water, making life difficult for citizens. Now the water level has started to receding, meaning that locals are beginning to rebuild their lives.
