By Matik Kueth
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Albino Atak Akol, met with President Kiir on Wednesday to discuss the increasing number of refugees and returnees fleeing Sudan’s conflict, as well as the impending threat of severe flooding expected to impact several states in South Sudan.
After the meeting, Akol told the media that South Sudan faces a major humanitarian crisis. He explained that the number of refugees and returnees arriving in South Sudan is rising rapidly, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Akol highlighted that this influx is straining already limited resources in border areas and reception centers, adding pressure on host communities.
Since full-scale conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, there has been a significant increase in cross-border movement into South Sudan.
By mid-2025, over 800,000 people, comprising Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees, had entered through borders in Renk, Aweil, Parieng, and other entry points.
Many are arriving in very vulnerable conditions, without access to food, shelter, or healthcare.
“We are seeing mothers carrying malnourished children, families sleeping in the open, and elderly people unable to walk long distances,” Akol said. “The humanitarian strain is unbearable, and it’s only getting worse.”
Most of these displaced persons are settling in already fragile host communities lacking basic infrastructure, clean water, and sanitation facilities.
Humanitarian agencies, which are already underfunded, are struggling to meet the increasing demand for assistance.
Aside from the refugee crisis, the country also faces another deadly threat, seasonal flooding.
Akol warned that this year’s rainy season may be particularly destructive, especially in flood-prone states like Unity, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Western Equatoria in September and October 2025.
“The peak of the crisis will hit between September and October, when many parts of the country could be submerged. We expect widespread displacement, damage to farms and livestock, and a potential public health emergency caused by waterborne diseases,” he said.
The Ministry, working with other government agencies, is starting preparedness efforts, including building dikes and water channels to redirect excess water. However, Akol emphasized that these measures are not enough without strong international support.
President Kiir reaffirmed his government’s commitment to respond decisively, instructing all relevant ministries to expedite emergency policies, and called on humanitarian partners and donors to increase their efforts.