![Lakchia, a 30-year old mother of 6 children in front of her flooded house in Pibor.
From September to November 2020, Pibor has been badly hit by flooding, which followed fighting earlier in the year and last years flooding. Lakchia is one of the many people affected by the flooding.
The regions floods exacerbate layers of pre-existing vulnerabilities intercommunal violence, intensifying economic setbacks, an uptick of food insecurity, and rising health risks. As the rainy season is nearing its end (November 2020), flood waters are gradually subsiding in several places. Yet, the impact of the current flooding on peoples lives will be felt long after the water levels have retreated. People have lost their houses and livestock, crops have been washed away, and health facilities have been destroyed; we fear that diseases will increase as a result.
A partner organisation raised concern regarding a measles outbreak in late September with more than 300 suspected casesan alarming rise to a vaccine preventable and potentially deadly disease.
In response to the deteriorating health situation, Medair mobilised an Emergency Response Team to conduct a mass measles vaccination campaign for children under five years of age in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. Teams walked through the water and sticky mud, and travelled by boat and canoe to reach affected communities, of which many clustered on small islands surrounded by the flood waters.
Lakchias story is available: .https://app.box.com/s/keg9cil6od5xxfs8a63k6i7st6j9x5vz
A few quotes from Lakchia: .Last year, my husband passed away. He was killed in the fighting. Our cows were taken and my husband was killed. The brother of the husband is in the place where the cases are and I dont receive support from them. The cows were taken in the fighting.
I go to the woods, to collect firewood and sell that in the market. The money is not enough for the children (to feed them). With selling firewood, I earn 500-600 South Sudanese Pounds. Some days, we can, if I have been able to collect firewood. If there is no firewood, we dont eat. We are eating one meal a day. Hunger is our problem.
Before the floods had arrived, I had planted sorghum. But all of the crops have been destroyed by the water. My house is destroyed as well. The house has fallen down. [Points to her new house]. This is not my place. This is someone elses plot. When I go back, where should I sleep? I dont know.
Im getting worried about the fighting. Last time I heard is that the war will continue. I dont know why the fighting happens. Where do I take the children?
When the floods came, I left my belongings and when I went back, I found them stolen."
Thank you for the measles vaccine.](https://maf.dk/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/12-04-Weekendavisen-illu-scaled-qweygk0zzsmfyeyupzritjninqmw8sj0ne3rcjsxfk.jpg "12-04 Weekendavisen illu")
Fra luften kan man virkelig se, hvordan oversvømmelser presser Sydsudans befolkning i nord. Weekendavisens journalist flyver sammen med Folkekirkens Nødhjælp i et MAF-fly for at få et indtryk af klimaforandringer i Sydsudan.
”Vandoverfladen strækker sig helt ud til horisonten og ligner ved første øjekast en gigantisk sø.”
Sådan indleder journalist Anne Kidmose sin artikel i Weekendavisen.
Fra luften i et MAF-fly kan man virkelig få en fornemmelse af størrelsen af de klimaskabte oversvømmelser, som har lagt delstaten Unity i det nordlige Sydsudan under vand. Hvad der på Weekendavisens foto ligner en grøn ø i en stor sø, er i virkeligheden fortællingen om mennesker, som krampagtigt holder fast i deres jord og levebrød på trods af, at vandet presser dem fra alle sider.
Det er den Hvide Nil, som ellers giver frodigt landbrugsjord her i det nordlige, som permanent er gået over sine bredder. Det skyldes ifølge artiklen opvarmningen af det Indiske Ocean og dermed øget fordampning og kraftig nedbør i denne del af Østafrika. 82.000 sydsudansere har mistet deres hjem i oversvømmelserne og søgt tilflugt i delstatens hovedstad Bentiu, som er beskyttet af diger.
MAF skaber overblik fra oven
Men nogle trodser vandmasserne og vælger at blive på deres jord. Der er dem, billedet, der er taget fra MAF-flyet, handler om. Her har mennesker bygget en lille interimistisk landsby af presenninger – til forskel fra deres traditionelle græshytter, som ses halvt druknede i vand til højre i billedet.
Reportagen fra Sydsudan får støtte fra Danida og Folkekirkens Nødhjælp, og den eneste mulighed for at give et visuelt udtryk og overblik over de voldsomme oversvømmelser er fra MAF-flyet.
”Men da det lille Cessna-fly begynder sin nedstigning, bliver det klart, at vi kigger på et landområde dækket af vand,” fortæller journalisten.
Cessna-flyet kommer fra MAF, som Folkekirkens Nødhjælp og generalsekretær Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen benytter sig af, når de tilser projekter i Østafrika.
Denne gang sammen med Weekendavisens journalist Anne Kidmose, der også har taget omtalte billede for at dokumentere oversvømmelserne i Sydsudan og konsekvenserne af klimaforandringer i det fattige land.
