Guess what! We are really really really flooded.
All the people from Diang Dieng, Nonimac, and lots more are stuck in Old Fangak. You can’t walk from here to Phom—normally a long day’s walk-- because you would have to sleep before you had any place to lie down (so they say!)
In 40 years, I do not remember hearing of a flood that lasted to January. This ought to be dry season, but the rain just keeps falling. They say the water in Lake Victoria is approaching the tarmac! And all the islands of swamp grass are clogging the river - hearsay but sounds plausible.
Oh my gosh. Apparently an elder that I knew from a distant village came asking for me. For some reason he thought I might have insight. He wanted to know if he should move his people to the Nuba Mountains!!!!!
Here you see the periphery of Old Fangak, with the school in the foreground, and the swamp extending through all of Nonimac. The dike is that little ribbon-like band surrounding Old Fangak.
When I flew in Dec 18, people were building multiple dikes, and some constructed islands to elevate their homes. It’s a huge swamp. We live in the world’s biggest swamp during the rainy season. This year, even though the rains have slowed down in South Sudan, we must be getting overflow from somewhere upstream.
Below, you see some thatch-roofed tukuls on dry land in the foreground. Beyond the dike, only their roofs stick up out of flood waters.
Rivulets extend from the river, and have breached the first dike already. The second dike still holds. The dikes look like a thin ribbon in these photos, but are at least a meter wide, all around Old Fangak.
WHAT A MESS! The International Red Cross and other NGOs have helped with food and non-food items. Hopefully World Food Program will come in January as well.
How to make a dike
Left: Crews of village men are “drafted” to work on portions of the dike. The official who does the “drafting” works right alongside them.
The dike nears completion.
Then the women’s job is to bail all the water from the village side of the dike. That’s a lot of water! Fortunately, another NGO sent in some pumps to help.
We think that the last severe floods may have decreased kala azar numbers by killing the larval stage of the sand fly. Some clouds bring silver linings along with plenty of raindrops! But malarial mosquitos will take advantage of more pools of water to use as breeding grounds.
Floods make food insecurity even worse. The UN predicted last week that 60% of the people of South Sudan will experience either worsening hunger, or an official food crisis. They are hungry already.
Many of you have been pitched in very generously after our last mailing. We thank you, and welcome any further contributions!
Thank you!
Dr. Jill Seaman