Severe flooding in South Sudan has forced more than 600,000 people to flee their homes since July, this is according to the United Nations , after months of torrential rains caused the Nile to burst its banks.
The impoverished East African nation is struggling to recover from a five-year civil war and was already suffering severe food shortages.
Scientists say the unusual rains are caused by a cyclical weather pattern that has been exacerbated by climate change.
The coronavirus pandemic is also complicating the response, said United Nations humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan Alain Noudéhou. Costs for delivering aid have risen with the need to protect aid workers and families are forced to squeeze together on thin slivers of land.
“With the flooding, people had to move to higher ground and there’s not much higher ground,” he said on Thursday during a visit to flood-hit areas.
He said the U.N. had allocated $10 million to help flood victims, but needed $40 million more by the end of the year.
