The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it was alarmed by the humanitarian impact of the worst flooding in decades in South Sudan, as it affected more than 700,000 people across the country.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, disclosed this at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York, saying that the UNHCR was working to help the victims of the floods.

Dujarric said the UN humanitarian agency was working with the government and partners to help the most affected people – by providing food, emergency shelter, hygiene items and solar lanterns.

“In Upper Nile state alone, UNHCR teams met around 1,000 people who had walked for seven days to reach Malakal town,’’ he said.

The spokesman said some of these people had not eaten in days, noting that women were deeply worried about the health of their children, with the increased risk of infections from deadly water-borne diseases.

“UNHCR said that while the effects of the climate emergency are being felt on every continent and in every region, its impacts are profoundly felt in East Africa.

“Communities, which are already struggling, are facing unprecedented floods and storms, unpredictable rainfall, and distress under hotter and drier conditions as their basic needs and rights to water, food, livelihoods, land, and a healthy environment are hit hard,’’ he said.

On Ethiopia, Dujarric said the humanitarian colleagues reported that the situation in Mekelle, in Tigray as at Tuesday was calm, but tense.

He said local health workers had reported that three children were killed and one person injured in an airstrike on the outskirts of Mekelle on Monday.

“A second airstrike in Mekelle town later in the day reportedly injured nine people and damaged houses and a nearby hotel.

“Our humanitarian colleagues are alarmed at the intensification of the conflict and once again remind all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“We also call for unrestricted and sustained humanitarian access to all people in need.’’

The north-west Kebbi State governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, has called for the dredging of River Niger and de-silting of water bodies, to solve the perennial problem of flooding in the hydroelectric power producing areas.

Bagudu made the suggestion at a one-day stakeholder meeting on the dissemination of a report on the outcome of a needs assessment exercise in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

The meeting was organised by the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), in collaboration with its Technical Partner, the New Approach.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Babale Umar-Yauri, the governor assured the HYPPADEC of his administration’s commitment to cooperate and support, in order to mitigate the sufferings of communities affected by floods in the state.

The HYPPADEC’s establishment Act, (No. 87 of 2010) states that the commission shall, among other things, formulate policies and guidelines for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas.

Others are to carry out a survey of hydroelectric power producing areas, to ascertain measures necessary to promote its physical development and prepare schemes designed to promote the physical developments of the areas.

It is also to implement all measures approved for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas by the Federal Government, in addition to tackling ecological problems that arise from overloading of dams in the hydroelectric power producing areas.

The commission is expected to advise the federal and state governments appropriately on the prevention and control of floods and environmental hazards.