[South Sudan]WASH Operations in Twic East County

Twic East is a county located in Jonglei State, South Sudan.  It is composed of five Payams (administrative divisions); Ajuong, Kongor, Lith, Nyuak, and Pakeer. According to the Fifth Population and Housing Census of Sudan conducted in April 2008, Twic East County had a population of 85,349, comprised of 44,039 male and 41,310 female residents with households.

In the month of June, 2019, there was a flood in Twic East County due to heavy rainfalls which has affected all five Payams.  The natural landscapes of the area do not allow free water movement to downstream, thus, the water accumulation in the villages negatively affected the agricultural and grazing lands, leading to the government’s declaration of the start of emergency in some parts of the country.

Muddy Road After a Heavy Rainfall

The affected population in Twic East County is about 1,547 households, where a total of 8,722 people have been affected while over 1,000 households have been displaced.

WASH situation in the five Payams is at a critical state due to the flood. According to Teafund, there were many diarrheal cases reported in Nyuak and Kongor Payams, and a significant number of schools affected by the flood with broken boreholes, and collapsed latrines and shelters. The situation was exacerbated by the WASH related diseases as a result of poor sanitation and hygiene awareness and practices in the areas. In response, PWJ met with various stakeholders and briefed them about the planned activities in the five Payams. The Local authorities and community leaders welcomed the team while stating that they knew PWJ from back when PWJ was operating in Ayod County.

Repairing the Well

PWJ interviewed some women, children, and the community leaders in all five Payams, asking them about their feelings toward the upcoming projects and whether they are facing any problems or not. The women were very excited for the news to have new boreholes in their communities, because currently, they regularly travel long distance to fetch water. By having boreholes within their communities, they will less likely be harassed by men during their journeys, and the girls will have more opportunities to attend schools and receive education. The Payam Directors and the Community Leaders thanked PWJ for the planned WASH intervention in Twic East County: to drill 10 new bore holes, to rehabilitate 9 broken bore holes, and also to have school health clubs in two schools to disseminate key hygiene messages. The directors said that there is a huge need of WASH services in Twic East as most water points, shelters, toilets, and agricultural products were destroyed during the flooding. PWJ will continue to strive and support the people of South Sudan so that each individual’s lives can improve.