Friday, 07 September 2012

Written by John Actually

BOR- Over 34,000 people have been displaced by floods caused by heavy rainfall in Pibor county of Jonglei state, authorities have reported.

‘The floods have destroyed 2,600 farms (about 6,800 acres) and displaced about 34,000 people,” the county director of agriculture, John Amore, told The New Nation last week.

Amore named the most affected payams as Gogolthin, Fertet, Lekuangole and parts of Gumuruk. He appealed to the state authorities and the Government to support the displaced people.

The floods are a big blow to the mainly Murle residents of Pibor, who had hitherto been cattle keepers.

The farmers only recently turned to crop growing as a source of living after they lost their cattle during the Lou-Nuer attacks earlier this year.

“I don’t have any hope since my crops are destroyed by water,” said Stephen Nyonyo, a farmer from Manyirang farmers group, while lokking at the young maize plants submerged in water.

“I had expected a good harvest this year, but now my farms will yield no fruits despite the hardship I faced during the planting and weeding,” he added.

Pibor commissioner Joshua Konyi said the floods are increasing and people are now using boats to cross to the market from the other part of town.

In response to the situation, Jonglei state director of the Red Cross, David Gai, said they are assessing the humanitarian situation.

In Twic East county, on the other side of Jonglei, about 20,000 acres of fields have been destroyed by heavy rainfall, commissioner Dau Akoi said.

While farmers in the area had put in commendable efforts to improve food security by cultivating large farms, persistent rains are now washing away the crops before they could be harvested, he noted.

"The current rainfall of August is really affecting our crops in Twic East. Our farmers have cultivated a lot of fedans but unfortunately, the recent rain is affecting the crops,” he said.

He named the most affected payams as Lith, Kongor and Nyuak. He expressed fear that the destruction of the crops will create food shortages in the county.

“Most of the villages have been affected. We have been talking to the NGOs to come and see how to support those affected," he said.

Friday, 07 September 2012

Written by Nyuon Ruai

Bentiu – Hundreds of residents of Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, have been rendered homeless after heavy rains washed away their houses and left them vulnerable to malaria and water-borne related diseases.

The victims are fleeing to higher ground, fearing increased flooding since torrential rains are continuing.

Houses have been destroyed in Daresalaam, Kalibalek, Biemrouk and Kordapdap residential villages in Bentiu town.

Those fleeing have to wade through 50 cm of water. Many are without food or clean drinking water.

Nyapini Pech abandoned her house with her five children and was seated along the road, pleading that the Government would assist them.

Koang Dak Teny, whose house got submerged, appealed to the authorities to dig drainage channels.

The heavy rains killed at least one child and destroyed a lot of crops, according to a local NGO.

“One child drowned in the water after attempting to cross a pond after a heavy downpour in Panyijiar county,” said Kuany Bol of Science of Hope, a humanitarian agency.

He added that several farmers in the county have lost hope because their crops are submerged in water.

The local director of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, William Kuol Geng, said they are conducting an assessment of the flood-affected areas together with UN agencies.

Since the onset of the heavy rains in June, about 43 villages are believed to have been affected by floods. Their residents are sheltering along roads and on raised grounds.

“The joint teams will provide the affected households with tools and non-food items,” said Geng.

UNMISS will airlift officers of the joint teams to other counties which have been cut off by floods, he added.

“UNMISS will provide helicopters to airlift the teams to other parts of the state, which are not reachable by road.”

The counties most affected in Unity state are Bentiu, Guit, Panyijiar and Leer.

Friday, 07 September 2012

Written by New Nation reporter

Juba - Crisis levels of food insecurity in most parts of the country will persist until the end of September, when harvests begin, according to a report of USAID.

However, they will continue up to December in the northern parts of Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap and Upper Nile, the report predicts.

Food insecurity, leading to malnutrition and starvation, is a result of food not being available or, where food is available, not being affordable.

“Prices of sorghum have substantially risen across key markets compared to the same time last year. They are likely to decline slightly as harvests begin,” the report says.

It lists the main drivers of high prices as inflation, fuel shortages, increased demand and trade restrictions with Sudan.

The rains have been normal to well above normal across the country, the report adds, but it warns of flooding in some states.

“Continued above-average rains could lead to flooding in the flood-prone areas of Warrap, Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Jonglei, potentially causing damage to crops and property.”

Although the rains performed well, agriculture may be lower than expected because many people remain displaced, according to USAID.

It also notes that the departure of northern farmers from Renk means that production in this mechanised area will be below average.

High fuel prices will also slow down production in areas where agriculture is mechanised.

In Jonglei, on the other hand, USAID expects the harvest to be near average as disarmament has temporarily reduced tensions.

Friday, 07 September 2012

Written by Daniel Sebit

JUBA- Farmers should apply traditional solutions combined with more scientific techniques to deal with the floods that have ravaged parts of the country, the agriculture minister of Central Equatoria has advised.

Minister Michael Kenyi said the excess water could be harvested in reservoirs and used for irrigation during dry spells or for fish ponds.

“Water from flooded areas could be used in many ways. It may be for creating fish ponds. It could also be reserved and used for irrigating crops during periods of drought”, he said.

Kenyi urged farmers to drain the water from the fields, warning that the crops will rot if fields are submerged.

In the long term, farmers in flood-prone areas should plan for crops that can survive in water-logged fields, such as rice, so that floods become a blessing in disguise, he noted.

“Flooding may be a disaster that impacts negatively on people’s lives. But it is natural and there is not much we could do about it. So it would be better to device ways that could turn them into our benefit,” he said.

The minister noted that there was need for the ministries of humanitarian affairs and water resources to cooperate to ensure a speedy intervention in times of emergencies.

He suggested that the Government sets up a committee to contain the ongoing problem of flooding and deal with other problems affecting crops, such as diseases, pests and weed.

“Weeds like striga are a national problem. We could conduct a national striga eradication programme. Solutions also have to be found for pests like weaver birds and stock birds in maize.”

The minister further urged the Government to use part of the money that will be coming in from oil resources to boost agriculture.

He proposed that at least 10 percent of the national budget should go into this sector if the country wants to reach the Millennium Goal of eradicating hunger by 2015.

“Our late leader John Garang made it clear that oil should be used for fueling agriculture. Not enough money is currently allocated to this sector. Yet we are aware that agriculture, if properly developed, could be the backbone of the economy”, he said.

He announced that his ministry is going to double its efforts in developing agriculture in Central Equatoria. “We shall take the lead. That is why we say: let’s go and cultivate together. Each state minister is supposed to cultivate at least three fedans of 70 by 60 meters each.”

He also urged agriculture commissioners at county level and other officials to make sacrifices and work hard to develop agriculture.

“The county officials complain of harsh working conditions and lack of facilities, but we should not just think of comfort if we really want to serve our people,” he argued.

According to Kenyi, places hardest hit by recent flooding in Central Equatoria are Dolo Payam in Juba county and parts of Terekeka county.