‘South Sudan among countries worst-hit with extreme weather’

South Sudan was among the countries worst-hit with natural disasters in 2019. This is according to a study by the Global Climate Risk Index 2021—a report prepared by the Germanwatch to examine global impacts of extreme weather patterns.

The study reveals that the country came eighth after India and registered 185 deaths, which translates to 1.38 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Economically, the country lost US$85 million which led to the 0.74 per cent unit loss in Gross Domestic Product after devastating floods hit that year.

‘‘The [country] suffered because of abnormally severe flooding following heavy rainfalls lasting from June 2019 until the end of the year,’’ the report notes in part.

 ‘‘These affected over 900 000 people; 620 000 of whom required immediate humanitarian assistance. The floods damaged 74 000 hectares of cultivated land, which amounts to a loss of over 70 000 metric tons of cereal,’’ it further states.

The country required US$61 million to rebuild the economy and undo the destruction of the harsh climatic conditions. Apart from the lives lost, 138 homesteads and over 10,000 homesteads were lost in the process.

‘‘Despite the floods, bush fires intensified and spread due to strong winds and hit four villages in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal region, causing 50 fatalities and injuring over 60 more people,’’ it states about the losses.

Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi lead the chart after being exposed to the deadly cyclone Idai which rendered many people homeless and killed hundreds in the South African coastal strip.

Other countries appearing before South Sudan are the Bahamas, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Japan, all of which experienced various disasters.