Severe Flooding in South Sudan Displaces More Than 600,000

Children are seen near flood water from the broken dykes on Nile river, in Duk padiet county, Jonglei State | © Reuters/DENIS DUMO
Children are seen near flood water from the broken dykes on Nile river, in Duk padiet county, Jonglei State | © Reuters/DENIS DUMO
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Severe Flooding in South Sudan Displaces More Than 600,000

Children are seen near flood water from the broken dykes on Nile river, in Duk padiet county, Jonglei State | © Reuters/DENIS DUMO
Children are seen near flood water from the broken dykes on Nile river, in Duk padiet county, Jonglei State | © Reuters/DENIS DUMO

Severe flooding in South Sudan has forced more than 600,000 people to flee their homes since July, the United Nations said, after months of torrential rains caused the Nile to burst its banks.

The impoverished East African nation is struggling to recover from a five-year civil war and was already suffering severe food shortages.

Scientists say the unusual rains are caused by a cyclical weather pattern that has been exacerbated by climate change.

The coronavirus pandemic is also complicating the response, said United Nations humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan Alain Noudéhou. Costs for delivering aid have risen with the need to protect aid workers and families are forced to squeeze together on thin slivers of land.

"With the flooding, people had to move to higher ground and there´s not much higher ground," he said on Thursday during a visit to flood-hit areas.

He said the UN had allocated $10 million to help flood victims, but needed $40 million more by the end of the year.

Around him, families waded through water or tried to herd bedraggled chickens away from sodden piles of belongings.

Kok Manyok, 70, said he was sleeping under the trees after fleeing from his village Dorok in August with his grandchildren.

"The water level reached almost halfway up my body," told Reuters, motioning to his chest as he spoke in his native Dinka language. "There are no shelters for me and my grandchildren, our cattle are gone and we are sleeping under a tree."

Families were living off of leaves and sorghum, said Matthew Hollingworth, the country director of the UN's World Food Program (WFP).

"That is not enough to keep them healthy and fit," he said. Some food was due to be distributed next month but there was not enough to go round, he said.

South Sudan´s civil war erupted two years after the country won its independence from Sudan in 2011 and ended with a peace deal signed between the main parties in 2018. But not all armed groups signed the deal and low-level clashes, banditry, and attacks on aid workers continue.

The conflict displaced around a third of the 12 million population, creating the worst refugee crisis in Africa since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.



Axios: US, Israeli Officials Believe Highly Enriched Uranium is Sealed Off Inside Iran’s Damaged Facilities

This handout satellite image courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows cargo trucks postioned near an underground entrance to Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), in Fordo, Iran on June 20, 2025. (Photo by Satellite image 2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)
This handout satellite image courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows cargo trucks postioned near an underground entrance to Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), in Fordo, Iran on June 20, 2025. (Photo by Satellite image 2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)
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Axios: US, Israeli Officials Believe Highly Enriched Uranium is Sealed Off Inside Iran’s Damaged Facilities

This handout satellite image courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows cargo trucks postioned near an underground entrance to Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), in Fordo, Iran on June 20, 2025. (Photo by Satellite image 2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)
This handout satellite image courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows cargo trucks postioned near an underground entrance to Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), in Fordo, Iran on June 20, 2025. (Photo by Satellite image 2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)

Highly enriched uranium is currently “sealed off” inside damaged facilities in Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Israeli and US officials say, according to the America news website, Axios.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview that aired Monday with US journalist Tucker Carlson that the nuclear facilities were seriously damaged, but Iran doesn't currently have access to them to accurately assess the situation.

US and Israeli officials say both countries' intelligence services are monitoring Iranian actions around its nuclear facilities to detect efforts to remove material or restore operations, according to Axios.

Netanyahu's top adviser, Ron Dermer, told officials in closed briefings that he came away from a recent visit to Washington with the impression that the Trump administration would back new Israeli strikes on Iran under certain circumstances, two sources with knowledge told the website.

One scenario would be an Iranian attempt to remove the highly enriched uranium inside the damaged facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, according to the sources.

Another would be if the Iranians start rebuilding their nuclear program, particularly enrichment facilities.

Dermer met last week with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli officials said.

Witkoff is planning to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oslo in the coming days to restart nuclear talks.

According to Axios, the Iranians confirmed such a meeting is in the works but so far no final date has been set.

Dermer told Israeli officials the US remains committed to the principle of zero enrichment on Iranian soil in the nuclear talks, the website wrote.