Japan donates relief items to flood-affected South Sudanese

(radiotamazuj.org)

The Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has donated 7,034 metric tons of emergency relief items to South Sudan to help the flood-affected people across the country.

Speaking to the press during the handover of the relief items on Tuesday, the JICA representative in South Sudan, Fuyuki Sagara, said the donation followed an official request from the Government of South Sudan to the Government of Japan.

“Through these processes, the Government of South Sudan appealed to the Government of Japan, and the Japanese government decided to provide emergency relief goods through JICA,” Sagara said. “The impact of the floods is catastrophic because this is the highest level of water and the worst inundation for the last 60 years. It has taken away the peoples’ lives, properties, and livelihoods, and a huge number of people have been displaced.”

He said Japan is aware that the people of South Sudan are facing a complex floods disaster coupled with a food crisis and insecurity at the sub-national level.

The non-food items include tents, blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping pads, portable jerry cans, and water purifiers. 

On his part, the chairperson South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRC), Manase Lomole Waya, said the emergency relief will be distributed to four of the most highly affected states in South Sudan.

According to Waya, the number of people currently affected by floods stands at 1.9 million.

“The most highly affected states include Western Bahr el Ghazal with 251,751, Warrap with 208,133, Unity with 123,966, and Western Equatoria with 11,403 people that have been affected by floods,” Waya said. “We have chosen these states because they are the most devastated. Initially, we wanted to channel some of these items to Jonglei State, but after serious consideration and discussions, we realized that Jonglei is better than these four states at the moment.”

“The targeted groups of people to benefit from the donation are the elderly, disabled, pregnant and lactating mothers, and orphans,” he added.

Floods in South Sudan have affected nearly a million people, according to an estimate released by the United Nations in October.

The world's youngest country, plagued by politico-ethnic violence and chronic instability since its independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan is experiencing floods for the fourth consecutive year.