Churches Unite to Save Lives Amid South Sudan’s Devastating Floods

Floodwaters are rising to new heights in South Sudan, displacing nearly a million people yearly between August and October. This season, the flooding has become especially severe in regions like Pochalla, leaving villages submerged and entire communities cut off from aid. Tearfund, a global charity, works with local churches and leaders to address the escalating crisis.

Health workers face harsh conditions, wading through waist-deep water to reach malnourished children in need. The charity's Country Director for South Sudan, Erickson Bisetsa, highlights the dire situation: “Living in South Sudan demands extraordinary resilience. The floods only add to the struggles of people already burdened by hunger and conflict.”

Tearfund has partnered with a coalition of churches, including the Presbyterian, Lutheran, Anglican, and Baptist denominations. They are not only delivering emergency aid but also broadcasting critical flood warnings over local radio stations. These broadcasts alert villagers to dangerous rivers and advise farmers to move their livestock to higher ground.

More than 3,000 people in Pochalla are in desperate need, their homes and farmlands lost to the water. Sanitation systems are overwhelmed, raising the risk of deadly waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria. Tearfund has ramped up efforts to screen young children for malnutrition and provides emergency food, water, and shelter to displaced people.

As South Sudan continues to battle the climate crisis and ongoing conflict, organizations like Tearfund remain lifelines in the face of overwhelming odds. Yet, resources are stretched thin. The charity calls for more support to help reach those stranded by floodwaters and offer life-saving aid.