Thousands of South Sudanese families are struggling to survive as severe flooding continues to submerge vast swathes of the country, devastating homes, farms, markets and infrastructure.

Individuals report struggling to find food, clean water and shelter. Communities face a lack of basic resources and are vulnerable to conflict and disease outbreaks like malaria.

Nyok Lang Gajang, a 35-year-old resident of Canal in Pigi County, Jonglei State, whose house and farm have been submerged by the heavy flooding, told Anadolu that he has been displaced since July and is currently staying in an open area with his two wives and children.

“My area of residence in Canal of Pigi County is severely affected by the devastating flood. All the houses in Canal have been submerged, everything people eat has gone and farmland, including crops, has been submerged,” he said. “There is no food.”

He described a dire situation in which families are exposed to the elements and dependent on sporadic aid. His children, he said, have been out of school since August because roads are impassable.

“There is no medical facility and no school in Pigi,” he added.

Victoria Simon Chakor, a 33-year-old mother of five from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, said the floods have destroyed her livelihood.

“Our situation is dire; many people, especially women, have been affected. Women are the ones who work in the market, but now the market is submerged. The flood has swept away my shop, and I have lost my source of livelihood,” she told Anadolu.

Since the flooding began in June, she has been displaced from her home and staying with relatives.

“Our residential area in Jalaba West is completely submerged, and we have a large family now displaced. About three women with their children are left without shelter,” she explained. “We have lost everything, including food and our home, which has collapsed.”

She said there has been no humanitarian assistance, leaving her family idle and without work, which has resulted in serious hunger.

She appealed for humanitarian assistance, especially regarding shelter, saying it is a challenge to begin rebuilding their livelihoods without support.

Pigi County among hardest hit

Suleiman Deng Thon, commissioner of Pigi County in Jonglei State, said nearly 40,000 residents – almost half the population – have been displaced by flooding.

“There are heavy floods in Pigi County, with water levels reaching approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet). Those affected are currently situated along the canal, while others have relocated to Wudwa and Zinki in Upper Nile State,” he told Anadolu in an exclusive interview.

Thon urged national and international aid agencies to provide sandbags and generators to help the people of Pigi.

“These resources would enable them to construct dykes and pump floodwaters out of residential areas,” he explained.

Residents from several villages, including Canal, Atar, Alela, Korwai, Wun-Lueth, and Khorfulus, have moved to higher ground in Pigi and Upper Nile, he said.

Access to clean water also remains a serious challenge. Emergency response teams have provided hygiene support and rehabilitated several hand pumps to ensure safe water for around 9,000 people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Widespread damage in Greater Pibor

In the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, floods have affected more than 113,000 people and displaced 43,000 from their homes across six counties, according to David Ngiro Yangkon, chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

"We have poor health conditions,” he told Anadolu. “Most of the affected populations are suffering from malaria and other common waterborne diseases. Most counties lack health facilities, especially in Likuangole and Gumuruk, where there are none.”

The cases of malaria and waterborne diseases have surged, with over 5,000 infections recorded so far, he said.

He explained that persistent rains since June have caused the Pibor River to overflow and caused extensive waterlogging in communities, submerging farmland and settlements and destroying homes, markets and infrastructure.

"There are six counties affected by the floods," said Yangkon. “Jebel Boma County is not affected because it is mountainous; the water level could not reach the height of the mountain.”

Yangkon appealed to aid agencies for urgent national and international assistance to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.

Authorities are conducting assessments to find high ground to accommodate those affected by the devastating floods across the affected counties, he added.

Government response and UN warning

South Sudan’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Albino Akol Atak Mayom, confirmed the widespread impact of flooding across the country. He said an estimated 1.6 million people – out of a population of about 12.7 million – could be affected this year.

“As a government, we are planning to reduce the impact of climate change by budgeting about $170 million needed for response efforts,” he said.

He urged national and international partners to act quickly to save lives, protect livelihoods, and help communities build resilience against future disasters.

According to OCHA, as of Oct. 24, floods had affected 961,000 people in 26 counties across six states, mostly in Jonglei and Unity. Nearly 335,000 people have been displaced, moving to higher ground after their homes were submerged.

Floodwaters, which have persisted since July, continue to destroy homes, farmland and infrastructure, disrupting access to health and education services.

While current flooding levels are lower than during the peak years of 2021, 2022 and 2024, they remain significantly above the historical average, OCHA said.

The UN agency noted that South Sudan continues to experience overlapping humanitarian crises driven by conflict, underdevelopment and climate-related disasters. Recurrent floods have worsened displacement and deepened food insecurity.

Humanitarian partners are delivering life-saving assistance in the most affected states, but access remains difficult because of damaged roads, collapsing infrastructure and widespread flooding.

OCHA said funding shortfalls and supply-chain disruptions also continue to constrain operations, delaying the prepositioning of relief items and limiting the ability to respond rapidly to emerging needs.