Thousands of residents in Pochalla County, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, have been displaced after the Akobo River burst its banks.
The area’s MP in the National Parliament is appealing for urgent humanitarian assistance to support the affected population.
The flooding, which has overrun the town of Pochalla and surrounding villages, has been described by local leaders as unprecedented.
Hon. David Okwier Akway, the county’s Member of Parliament, raised the issue during a sitting of the National Parliament, urging immediate action to address the crisis.
“Yesterday I received a call from our Commissioner in
Pochalla County and informed me and my colleagues who are here in this house
that the Akobo River, on which Pochalla is situated, has burst its banks,” Okwier
said on Monday in Juba.
“So, the river inundated the whole town and all the villages
around it. Even my colleagues, those who were in the liberation movement and
who know Pochalla very well, have never seen Akobo River bursting its banks.”
Heavy rains have contributed to the river's overflow,
resulting in widespread displacement and damage to homes and property
throughout the region.
“But this time, because of the heavy rains and so forth, it
has burst its banks and flooded the whole area and all the villages from
Pochalla South up to Boma area have been inundated,” he added.
He appealed to the Speaker and fellow lawmakers for
immediate support, requesting permission to leave the parliamentary sitting and
meet directly with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
“Therefore, I am raising this as an emergency, as an urgent
matter, so that we parliament hear about this and I want the people on the top
also to know that we have a crisis, a natural crisis in Pochalla,” he stated.
Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, Speaker of the National
Parliament, responded in support of the proposal and urged relevant
parliamentary committees to coordinate efforts with the ministry to assess and
respond to the situation.
As floodwater continues to affect thousands in Pochalla
County, local authorities and lawmakers are calling for urgent humanitarian
intervention to mitigate the impact of the disaster.
The Akobo River is a river on the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia. From its source in the Ethiopian Highlands near Mizan Teferi it flows west for 434 kilometers to join the Pibor River.