By William Madouk
Residents of Jebel Lado payam, Molobur village in Juba County and the surrounding areas are living in fear of snake bites after reptiles were carried into their homes by the floodwaters.
Torrential rains have triggered fresh floods, destroying crops, houses, and cutting off roads. Over 6,000 people are now facing the onslaught of hunger, as well as surges in malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia cases among children.
Families who have abandoned their homes due to the floods, coupled with alleged land grabbing, have recounted the horrors they face daily and have appealed for urgent humanitarian support.
Addressing the media, Lilian Duki, a resident, said, ” We South Sudanese women suffered a lot; we do cultivate and when water submerges, we opt for cutting trees and if the roads were accessible.”
“We really need support, we children are suffering including us the women in Molobur,” Duki noted.
Also, Lilian Poni – a resident of Molbour said, “our houses are along the main road but we were chased away and our properties including clothes were taken at gunpoint.”
“Children are sick and have no food, it is what we cultivate that used to help us but the water destroyed everything. Let government support with food, oil, salt and tarpaulin.”
Gabriel Laku, a Molobur youth leader said residents are living under the mercy of God.
“We were chased out from our places by the landgrabbers and that prompted us to relocate to this island, but with this flooding, we are now in life-threatening condition,” he said.
“It started since March, when we were displaced by landgrabbers and we relocated here, we started the cultivation and now flood destroyed our crops, no food or homes and kids are sick,” he added.
He called on the government to support the affected inhabitants in Jebel Lado Payam.
Franko Joesph, chief of Jebel Lado East, Molobur stated that more than 6,000 people are affected by the recent flooding.
“We are staying on the damaged tarpaulin and when it rains people suffer, we urge the government to provide security and humanitarian assistance,” said Joseph.
He cited that CES governor Augustino Jadalla has promised to resolve the issue of land grabbing, however, no action has been taken yet.
While, the executive chief of Jebel Lado East Boma, Charles Laku Wani said, “people are staying on an island with no medicine, mosquito net, food and no school, what is this now?”
“This is bush and there are so many types of snakes even the ones that can swallow people. so far, we have recorded a five case of snake bites,” Wani added.
Edward Dion, an MP representing Lado East Payam in the CES legislative assembly, appealed to the government and humanitarian organization to swiftly intervene in rescuing the situation.