Photo taken in June 2024 shows a woman standing in floodwaters in Panyijiar County of Unity State. Credit: Gatkuoth Phar

An estimated 5,000 people have been displaced in Panyijiar County of Unity State, after rising Nile water submerged homesteads, according to the UN humanitarian agency.

UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said severe flooding is expected to hit 20 counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Warrap, Jonglei, Central Equatoria, and Upper Nile states in the coming months.

OCHA said the possibility of flooding is indicated in the above average rainfall and increased water level observed in Lakes Victoria and the hydrometric stations in the country.

The IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre has called on South Sudan to put measures in place to mitigate anticipated flooding and heat stress that may lead to dire humanitarian situation in the country.

A seasonal forecast of the ICPAC showed above-normal rainfall and warmer-than-normal temperatures predicted over most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa including South Sudan between June and September 2024.

The scientific center said the riverine flooding is expected in parts of Jonglei, Lake State, Unity, Upper Nile and Central Equatoria, while dry spells are expected in parts of Northern Bahr El Ghazal.

Meanwhile, the agency, in its humanitarian snapshot of May 2024, says nearly 26,000 people remained displaced in Tambura, Nagero and Ezo counties in Western Equatoria State due to intercommunal violence.

It also said several displaced families left the displacement sites following a call from the government to return to their places of origin in Tambura and Nagero counties, while others intended to cross into the Central African Republic to seek asylum.

OCHA stated that intercommunal violence between conflicting communities in Malakal town, Upper Nile State, killed at least eight people and displacing 600 people to Malakal Protection of Civilians (PoC) site.

It added that about 300 people arrived in Malakal town of Upper Nile State from Mayendit and Rubkona counties in Unity State, in search of humanitarian assistance due to dire hunger in their places of origin.