An official said the floods have affected communities in Dari and Lesi Payams, where rainfall continues to pound.

By Emmanuel Mandella

Torrential rains have triggered fresh flooding in Mvolo County of Western Equatoria State, submerging villages and forcing families into makeshift shelters, local officials confirmed to The City Review on Sunday.

The Executive Director of Mvolo County, Mr. Baden Michael, in a phone interview told The City Review that the floods have affected communities in Dari and Lesi Payams, where rainfall continues to pound.

“The situation is worsening every day. At first, it was 25 households affected, but the number keeps rising. A house collapsed on and injured a woman and her young children. Thankfully, there are no deaths reported so far, but the suffering is real,” Michael said.

He added that some families have sought refuge in schools after losing both their homes and farmlands.

“This is why we are calling on humanitarian agencies and authorities to urgently assess the situation and respond. People have lost not just houses, but their gardens too, which means food insecurity will follow if nothing is done,” he added.

Flooding has been a common phenomena in Mvolo County. In 2022, severe flooding displaced thousands, destroying homes and farmlands. However, this year situation paint a grim picture of an annual crisis that extends beyond Mvolo.

Neighboring counties such as Nzara, Mundri West, Ibba, Yambio, and Nagero have repeatedly suffered similar calamities, with villages cut off, bridges washed away, and families forced to rebuild their lives from scratch after every rainy season.

Last year in Nagero County, heavy rains washed out two vital bridges linking the area to Tombura and Wau, crippling transportation of food and basic goods. In Yambio, flash floods often sweep through residential neighborhoods, forcing evacuations in the southern parts of the County.

The problem is not unique to Western Equatoria, but across the country, where flooding has remained one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges.

According to the United Nations, more than 2 million people nationwide were affected by floods in 2023, with Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states recording the highest displacements. Families lost livestock, farmland, and critical infrastructure, pushing an already fragile economy deeper into crisis.

Experts warn that climate change, coupled with poor drainage systems and deforestation, could worsen the scale and frequency of floods in the country.

While government agencies and humanitarian partners often step in after disasters, local communities have been urged to take preventive measures ahead of heavy rains.

These include, raising houses on higher ground or platforms where possible, clearing drainage systems in villages to prevent water stagnation.

Avoiding construction near riverbanks or flood-prone lowlands and planting trees to reduce soil erosion and improve water absorption.

Storing emergency supplies, such as food and clean water, before the peak of the rainy season.

Yet, residents argue that without long-term investment in infrastructure, such as durable dikes, bridges, and flood management systems, preventive measures will remain limited.

For Mvolo’s Executive Director, the latest floods are a stark reminder that communities cannot face this battle alone.

“When disasters like this strike, the authorities must not remain distant. They need to visit, to see the pain of the people, and to stand with them. Those who have lost everything deserve more than sympathy they deserve support and action,” Michael appealed.

As the rains continue in Western Equatoria, uncertainty hangs over how many more families will be displaced before aid reaches the most vulnerable. What remains clear is that the cycle of floods across South Sudan is far from over, unless both local and national efforts are strengthened to protect communities living on the frontlines of climate change.