By Yien Gattuot Mead
Authorities in Unity State said a total of 11 people have drowned in flood waters while 21 others were bitten by snakes.
Dr. Gatluak Nyang, the Commissioner of Mayiendit County said about 8,840 households have also been displaced from their homes in the past three months.
He added that there has been massive displacement of the communities from three villages to high grounds in the south of the county.
“The situation is very bad due to the floods. The flood waters are now increasing, and the displacement is very huge,” he told to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, last week.
“In Mayiendit South, we were having 5 high ground areas but now three have been flooded and people are displaced. In Gatluak, Miirnyiel and Thakhker Payams, most people are displaced” he disclosed.
Dr. Gatluak Nyang a recent assessment found a total of 59,345 people are displaced.
He said the only remaining 2 islands are Bapier and Dhargabi while the other three; Padia, Dhargabi, and Luoi are flooded.
According to Dr. Nyang, there is a shortage of medicine in the affected areas as the situation has been made worse by poor hygiene and resultant outbreaks of water-borne diseases, snake bites as well as miscarriages by pregnant women.
He said so far, they have recorded 15 cases of miscarriages among expectant mothers.
“This is a very serious situation, and we had a meeting with UN OCHA, FAO, and other partners and they are now in Mayiendit County carrying out an assessment,” he said.
The commissioner advised the people to be calm since flooding is a natural disaster.