South Sudan’s seasonal flooding, once a natural part of the country’s climate, has now turned into an annual catastrophe, displacing hundreds of thousands and worsening the humanitarian crisis. Families, like that of Nyabuot Reat Kuor, a mother forced from her home in Gorwai, are bearing the harshest consequences of this climate disaster.
“When we were in Gorwai, there was too much flooding. It destroyed our farm and displaced us for good,” Nyabuot explained. “We don’t know what caused this flooding, but it destroyed our land and killed our livestock. When we were displaced from our home, we only had wild plants to eat.”
Now living along the Jonglei Canal with her family, Nyabuot, like over 69,000 other displaced individuals in Ayod County, relies on food aid from the World Food Programme (WFP), wild plants, and water lilies when resources run low. The canal, a century-old but unfinished waterway, has become a lifeline for many, but survival remains precarious.
The United Nations reports that more than 379,000 people have been displaced by flooding this year alone. South Sudan, ranked by the World Bank as the most vulnerable country to climate change, is ill-equipped to manage such disasters. The nation’s crumbling infrastructure and the aftereffects of years of civil war have left the government unable to address crises like flooding, which continues to inundate villages, destroy crops, and kill livestock.
Aid Delivered by Air
The situation in Ayod County is dire, with most displaced communities completely isolated. Roads are impassable, and canals are too shallow for boats. As a result, food must be delivered by air.
“We actually deliver food by airdrops,” said John Kimemia, a WFP airdrop coordinator. “Before delivering, we have to prepare the ground for a drop zone. In this case, the area didn’t have a clear drop zone, so we have to get the help of the community to clear it. There’s no access at this time by road or by boat from the canal.”
However, despite WFP’s efforts, resources remain in short supply. International funding cuts have resulted in a reduction of food rations in recent years. When aid is delayed or exhausted, displaced families have no choice but to forage for wild plants to survive.
Survival Amid Isolation
The isolation of these displaced communities only adds to their suffering. In Pajiek, the county headquarters of Ayod, reaching the nearest town requires a six-hour walk through waist-high water. The area lacks mobile network coverage, government presence, and regular healthcare services.
At the Paguong village health center, surrounded by floodwaters, medics have not been paid since June. Patients, primarily women and children, wait for care on the ground, fearful of venomous snakes lurking in the water.
Meanwhile, South Sudan’s broader economic situation continues to deteriorate. The ongoing civil war in neighboring Sudan has damaged an oil pipeline, disrupting exports and worsening the country’s financial struggles. Civil servants, including health workers, have gone unpaid for over a year.
Climate and Conflict Collide
The worsening flooding crisis is linked to factors such as the opening of upstream dams in Uganda and rising water levels in Lake Victoria. Additionally, South Sudan’s expansive wetlands, the Sudd, have grown significantly since the 1960s, flooding more land and displacing even more people.
As the crisis deepens, the unfinished Jonglei Canal—intended during the colonial era to divert water to Egypt—has become a refuge for families seeking higher ground.
For displaced families like Nyabuot Reat Kuor, however, survival remains uncertain. “We survive on what we can find,” she said. “Wild plants, water lilies. We just want food and help to live.”
South Sudan’s recurring floods are not just a climate disaster—they are a humanitarian emergency, exposing the vulnerabilities of a nation beset by conflict, poverty, and environmental change. For Nyabuot and thousands of others, survival remains a daily struggle.
