The Commissioner of Kapoeta East County of Eastern Equatoria State warned of a dire hunger crisis in the area following a dry spell that has withered crops and dashed hopes of harvest for the second consecutive year.
Angelo Abdalla said farmlands across the county have not seen rain in weeks while crops have been scorched by intense heat.
Mr. Abdalla said the area is impacted by severe food insecurity as the local populations depend on subsistent agriculture amid inaccessibility to relief and commercial supplies.
In an interview with Eye Radio on Saturday, he said the groundwater also reduced and streams have dried up. The commissioner blames the crops failure on climate change.
“We are in a state of hunger here. We do not have corn. All the crops were burned by the sun before harvest due to the severe lack of rain in the region,” he said.
“All the farms in every region, from Lotomore to Naros, were all burned by the sun. This is what happened to us here. Therefore, climate change has affected the citizens publicly.”
“Rain times fall in some areas and not others. Secondly, the groundwater has decreased significantly, the creeks and lakes have dried up, and the wells have become almost dry.”
This is the second consecutive year of drought in Kapoeta East. In February 2023, four people died of starvation in Jie Payam of the area amid reports of severe drought in the border area.
Also in January 2022, hundreds of families fled their villages in Kapoeta East with others crossing into Ethiopia to escape extreme hunger in the area.
Commissioner Abdalla called on both the local and international humanitarian actors to intervene to save lives.
“We currently call on charitable organizations and humanitarian workers, whether local, regional, or even international, to intervene to save the situation and save lives. We call on them to help citizens in these circumstances.”
The dry spell occurs as climate data suggests a major flooding event in South Sudan that will affect more than 3 million people in the second half of 2024, many of whom will need humanitarian assistance.
According to the IGAD climate center (ICPAC), the current rainy season in the Greater Lakes region indicates potential increase in volumes of water in rivers and lakes leading to record rise in Lakes Victoria waters.
UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said severe flooding is expected to hit 20 counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Warrap, Jonglei, Central Equatoria, and Upper Nile states in the coming months.