South Sudan’s government declares national disaster

By Staff Writer

South Sudan’s council of Ministers declared flood-affected parts of the country as national disaster areas according to the country’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth.

The Council of Ministers, in its regular meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir on Friday noted that torrential rains triggered floods that have affected Upper Nile and Bahr El-Ghazal regions.

Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the council of ministers decided to declare all flood affected areas as national disasters areas after listening to presentation from the Minister for environment.

“What do we do about the  floods that are now affecting people in South Sudan, after thorough deliberation many people made contribution as to the way forward and it was decided that as of today South Sudan should declare the flood affected areas as national disaster areas” Lueth told Journalists after the cabinet meeting on Friday .

Early this week  President Salva Kiir Mayardit  met with Peter Mayen Majongdit, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and discuss issues on the humanitarian situation, especially the devastation caused by flooding in the Country. 

Peter Mayen Majongdit said the flooding has devastated and affected many households in the Country, and it is due to the effect of climate change.

 According to him the recent flooding in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal has killed 7 people and 3 others are missing. 

An area declared a national disaster means an area officially declared to be the scene of an emergency created by a disaster and therefore qualified to receive certain types of governmental aid