At least 795,558 livestock, including cattle, goats, and sheep, were affected by floods that affected eight states this year, a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has revealed.

The report also indicates that an unidentified number of birds and donkeys were also washed away, and an estimated 37,625 tonnes of cereals were destroyed in 65,107 hectares of land that have been submerged since May 2021.

In the initial FAO report seen by The City Review on Wednesday, the flood destruction will have a negative impact on the food security of the affected people, especially the eight states that include Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity as the most affected.

According to the report, over 835,000 people have been affected by the flood, and they are more likely to find it difficult to survive. Floods from previous years have not yet retreated and when the flooding started this year, the situation went out of hand.

However, according to the World Food Program (WFP), South Sudan is suffering the most severe hunger crisis worldwide, with 108,000 people already facing famine-like conditions and 2.5 million people in emergency situations- a situation termed as a “level of acute food insecurity.”

The WFP also said since independence in July 2011, at least 4.7 million people are already in a crisis as far as food provision is concerned.

South Sudan is highly vulnerable to climate change, including flooding, droughts, and most recently, a locust infestation. Long-term climate change such as a gradual increase in temperature and short-term changes— including increased flooding—have indirect and interlinked implications for peace and security in South Sudan.

Need for intervention

Early this month, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) urged the government to invest more in water management and early warning practices to protect the population from flooding.

Peter Van der Auweraert, the IOM Chief of Mission in South Sudan, said South Sudan is extremely affected by climate change following the flooding that affected most parts of the country, especially Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Warrap states.

He said South Sudan is deeply affected by climate change and there is a need to invest more in water management and early warning systems. He said water management should be a priority and must be supported.

Furthermore, he said there is a need to save the dry land as soon as possible before the next rainy season. That includes protecting the dykes by maintaining them.

In November, the United Nations, through the office of humanitarian coordination in South Sudan, called on the international community to support the government of South Sudan in setting up dykes, canals, and extraction pumps to mitigate the impacts of flooding.

The UN attributed the flooding, which continues to affect people throughout the country, especially those living along the river, to climate change.