The United Kingdom (UK) Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Nick Dyer has visited the Internally Displaced Persons’ site in Mangalla County as government and partners seek to help victims of natural disasters in Jonglei.
Prior to the visit to Mangalla, Dyer met the South Sudan Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Peter Mayen to discuss the general humanitarian situation in the country.
In July this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that an estimated 625,000 people have been affected by flooding across South Sudan, especially those in areas along the White Nile.
Nearly 90 percent of those affected, according to the report, are in Jonglei, Lakes and Upper Nile states. As rain continues, the numbers and water levels rose the following months, submerging houses and displacing thousands.
Mayen told the media Tuesday last week that they discussed about how closely they can work together to address the issues of flooding, the gap in food insecurity and the health situation that needs to be improved in the country.
He said it was vital that the UK Special Envoy and other donors visit some of the fields to witness the dire humanitarian situation in the country.
The ministry also briefed the envoy about the 7 states and 39 counties that were severely affected by floods, particularly areas with most vulnerable groups of people.
“We talked about the importance of raising funds and the possibility where the government could be able to receive direct support so that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has enough resource to enable it to manage those disasters,” Mayen said.
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, humanitarian organizations are responding in all affected Counties, including Ayod, Bor South, and Duk Counties in Jonglei, Awerial in Lakes, and Panyijiar and Koch counties in Unity State.
The areas, the agency said, were identified as a high priority for a scale-up in operations, where physical access allows. Light humanitarian hubs are planned in devastated areas to overcome operational constraints caused by the flooding and COVID-19-related measures.
Chris Trott, the UK Ambassador to South Sudan said the envoy was in the country to witness the dire humanitarian situation facing the citizens.
“The envoy came to South Sudan to talk to the minister about the challenges that we are facing in terms of support delivery, in particular, we talked about humanitarian access, we talked about the importance of their being in a safe environment in which humanitarian actors can operate.”
Trott assured that the UK government will continue to work together with the Government of South Sudan to find solutions to humanitarian crisis engulfing the country.
Over 12000 displaced persons camping in Mangalla are without accommodation and majority are sheltering under the trees while some live in temporarily-erected tents.