Pigi County IDPs face severe flooding, lack of shelter – Commissioner

Authorities in Pigi County of Jonglei State say the area is facing a severe lack of services for internally displaced persons due to recurrent flooding in recent years.

According to County Commissioner Suliman Deng Thon, rivers including the Atar River, Fulus River and the Sobat River often overflow, causing flash floods that displace communities.

“The main problem is flooding; the river overflows into the towns. This is what civilians fear most. The water comes from the river, goes back into the area, and has a serious impact,” he said.

He called on both the state and national governments to support flood prevention measures, including the construction and repair of dykes.

The commissioner also said the county is currently hosting many IDPs who were displaced from Nyirol County following recent fighting in northern Jonglei.

He added that although the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently distributed over 2108 pieces of mosquito nets to the IDPs, many families are still in urgent need of assistance.

“Mosquito nets have arrived, around 2108 nets. They arrived early yesterday morning. They were enough for all citizens in Pigi County. People who came from Nyirol side are in a very difficult situation. If there are NGOs, these issues need to be addressed. Because it is raining, civilians have no shelter and are sitting under trees, and they do not have tarpaulins. State and national governments need to look into this matter,” he added.

Many displaced families, he said, are living in the open and under trees, exposing them to heavy rains and harsh weather conditions.

He further appealed to humanitarian agencies to provide temporary shelters for the IDPs during the ongoing rainy season.