South Sudan faces renewed flood threat as rainy season returns

DDM News

The devastating threat of flooding has returned to South Sudan as the rainy season begins once more, sparking fresh fears for communities in low-lying regions like Unity State.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that the town of Bentiu is once again on high alert, with local residents and international peacekeepers working tirelessly to reinforce a fragile network of dikes protecting hundreds of thousands of people.

The roots of the crisis date back to 2020, when unprecedented rainfall triggered widespread flooding across the region.

Torrents of water overflowed from the swollen Nile River, inundating large parts of Unity State.

Some 4,500 square kilometers of land were submerged, displacing entire communities and leaving vast areas underwater to this day.

Efforts to reclaim portions of the land have seen some success, with families returning to small areas that remain above the waterline.

However, the threat of new floods looms large every year with the arrival of the rains.

In 2023, floodwaters came alarmingly close to breaching the existing dikes, just 30 centimetres short of spilling over.

In response, Pakistani engineers deployed under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) launched an intensive effort to raise the protective barriers.

Their aim has been to lift the dikes to at least one and a half meters above the high-water mark to withstand seasonal floods.

These engineers have been collaborating closely with Mongolian peacekeepers, who provide armed protection while the construction work continues.

The teams conduct round-the-clock patrols along the dikes, constantly scanning for potential weak spots that could break under pressure.

Their vigilance is rooted in past tragedy.

In 2022, a breach in the western dike wall triggered a near-catastrophe.

That rupture threatened the lives of 300,000 civilians, many of whom were living in displacement camps near Bentiu.

The incident also endangered the UNMISS field office in the area, highlighting the fragility of South Sudan’s flood defences.

Climate change is playing an increasingly destructive role in this ongoing crisis.

As rainfall patterns become more erratic and extreme weather events intensify, South Sudan’s already limited resources are being stretched to breaking point.

Both flooding and droughts are now regular occurrences, deepening the country’s humanitarian challenges.

This environmental instability has also worsened tensions between communities, particularly over access to grazing land and water.

These tensions can quickly spiral into violence, further destabilizing the fragile peace in a country that only gained independence in 2011 after decades of civil war.

Despite these challenges, the collaborative efforts between UN peacekeepers, humanitarian agencies, and local residents have managed to stave off disaster, for now.

The reinforced dikes are currently holding, and monitoring continues as rainfall increases.

However, with the rainy season just beginning, the situation remains precarious.

Humanitarian experts warn that without sustained support and long-term environmental planning, South Sudan will continue to face seasonal crises, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions.

For the people of Bentiu and beyond, each rainstorm brings fresh anxiety.

The future of South Sudan’s flood-prone regions depends not only on emergency response but also on global action to combat climate change and support vulnerable nations in adapting to its impacts.

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