An activist in the Jonglei State capital, Bor has urged the government to evacuate thousands of families stranded in the floodwaters for months without support, as floodwaters continue to rise. 

In August, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) said at least 182,000 people have been left homeless following the July floods in Bor, and the majority of which fled to the neighboring regions.  

But as the level of floodwaters continues to rise, thousands more have been left stranded in the rising floodwaters in the state capital.   
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this morning, Bol Deng Bol, the Secretary-General for the civil society National Civil Alliance (NCA), condemned the government for leaving the poor to languish in the dirty floodwaters for months without intervention. 

“Things are very expensive. Many have taken advantage of this flood to increase the charges. In areas like Lekyak, Nigel, and Langbar, many people are still in floodwaters. They have been left to suffer there. They are willing to leave, but they could not afford,” Bol said. 

On 12th November, a State of Emergency declared by President Kiir to help tackle the floods and inter-communal violence in Greater Jonglei expired after three months. 

For activist Bol, there was more suffering versus government response.

“We thought the military will be deployed and money allocated to tackle the floods like what we saw in Sudan. But on the contrary, civilians have been left to suffer, and the work left to the aid agencies alone,” he stressed. 

Bol added, “We want the government to evacuate the stranded families to higher grounds.”

On her part, Deborah Schein, the UNMISS head for the field office in Jonglei, said: “The situation is not good. People are suffering. People have been displaced by the floods. Unfortunately, we have seen people in the middle of the roads within Bor town.”

She decried the appalling situation in Bor, warning that the floods may pose health risks to the locals. 

“Water is not clean. Water has been pretty much stagnant. And we are worried about water-borne diseases and other problems, health problems. Again, we have COVID-19,” she stressed.   

The UN diplomat urged the government to embark on a long-term plan to address the recurring floods in Jonglei. 

Samuel Ateny Page, the head of the floods taskforce in Jonglei, said the locals had been notified to vacate the floods hotspot areas by themselves as the government resource is over-stretched.