By Taban Tom Henry
At least 406,000 people have been affected by flood in the parts of Jonglei state.
This came in a meeting that brought together the Jonglei State top government officials with the top UN officials led by the Under-Secretary-General for United Nations Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix accompanied by the Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattrey, Special Representative of Secretary General and UNMISS Chief Mr. Nicholas Haysom, Deputy Special Representative of Secretary General Mr. Guang Cong.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Governor Jacob Akech Dengdit, State Advisors, Ministers and other government officials, UN officials and humanitarian partners amongst others.
In the statement seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Tuesday, the of Jonglei state governor Denay Jok Chagor said at least 406,000 people have been hit by flooding in the state.
“This is the meeting that we have been looking for, we shared a wide range of issues, especially with regard to the roadblocks in fully implementing the Revitalized Peace Agreement at the state level, as well as day-to-day challenges being faced by our citizens.
“The people of Jonglei State are in the top list in the issue of floods that had taken all the nine counties of the state and it has affected 406,000 individuals and this is due to the climate change followed by insecurity from the neighboring State,” he said.
Governor Chagor appealed to the UN family and donors for supports as the people of South Sudan are struggling to get to their feet while calling for support in the areas of food, shelters, medical aids and nutrition to save life.
On his part, Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix said he visited Bor, South Sudan, to see firsthand work being done by the United Nations and its partners to protect civilians, reduce community violence, build peace and usher in development and to get overview of the challenges facing the state such as floods, inter-communal conflict and cattle raiding.
“I am grateful for the warm welcome by our government partners and for a chance to see the immense integration between UNMISS, humanitarian Agencies, Funds and Programmes, nongovernmental organizations and community members,” said USG Jean-Pierre.
“Flooding caused by climate change has impacted populations here, the floods also caused access challenges for peacekeepers and humanitarian actors. This is a population that needs support for development and for humanitarian aid,” Mr. Lacroix assured the people of Jonglei and South Sudanese of UN Support.
“There is more to be done for the people of Jonglei and the people of South Sudan, but I am hopeful that with team efforts like what I have witnessed on the ground today, we will be able to make a tangible difference. I want to assure everyone that the UN is committed to help build a durable peace for all South Sudanese.