BBC NEWS ONLINE : South Sudan floods: Fleeing Nile waters to a minefield

The flooded landscape of Bentiu is visible from the air. In Bentiu, record flooding for four consecutive years has submerged entire villages. 22/08/2022 Bentiu, South Sudan. "South Sudan is experiencing the worst flooding in 60 years. More than 850,000 people have been affected and need urgent life-saving support. The worst-hit is Unity State where 220,000 have been affected, including 110,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were already displaced due to conflict. The flooding is a big blow to the youngest nation in the world, which is already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with some 8.9 million people in need of humanitarian and protection assistance this year due to conflict and climate change, compared to 8.3 million people in 2021. In Bentiu, response efforts are being undertaken alongside the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the World Food Programme and the Government of Unity State. Ongoing efforts include construction and reinforcement of berms and dykes, and deployment of trash pumps to ensure continued humanitarian access at the airport and along core supply roads. In addition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities such as borehole repair and maintenance have ensured the provision of safe drinking water to the flood-affected displaced at new IDP sites." https://eastandhornofafrica.iom.int/stories/photo-story-flood-response-bentiu-south-sudan Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

A young girl walks along the apex of a dyke separating the flooding from the roads. The roads are often too muddy to walk on so people most often walk along the apex of the dykes. Bentiu is unique in that anywhere where there is dry land it is only due to humanitarian-built dykes. The floods span 80km, and the dykes are approximately 2.5 metres high and up to 5 metres wide. The IDP camp in Bentiu shelters 112,000+ people all displaced due to flooding and / or violence in their villages. Bentiu, South Sudan 21/08/2022 "South Sudan is experiencing the worst flooding in 60 years. More than 850,000 people have been affected and need urgent life-saving support. The worst-hit is Unity State where 220,000 have been affected, including 110,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were already displaced due to conflict. The flooding is a big blow to the youngest nation in the world, which is already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with some 8.9 million people in need of humanitarian and protection assistance this year due to conflict and climate change, compared to 8.3 million people in 2021. In Bentiu, response efforts are being undertaken alongside the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the World Food Programme and the Government of Unity State. Ongoing efforts include construction and reinforcement of berms and dykes, and deployment of trash pumps to ensure continued humanitarian access at the airport and along core supply roads. In addition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities such as borehole repair and maintenance have ensured the provision of safe drinking water to the flood-affected displaced at new IDP sites." https://eastandhornofafrica.iom.int/stories/photo-story-flood-response-bentiu-south-sudan Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Canal village and it's residents celebrate that the land they have resettled on after becoming IDPs is now safe land. This land they settled on was dry but contained a minefield. The villagers are celebrating the de-mining of the land, by UNMASS so that they can now propgate it and live upon it safely. 11/08/2022 - Canal Village, Malakal, Upper Niles State, South Sudan. "Early this year, UNMAS responded to community requests from a remote village in Canal where IDPs had resettled on a known minefield. In March 2022, following on from several Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions delivered by UNMAS, Chief of Mine Action, Mr. Fran O’Grady, visited Canal to assess how clearance activities could be undertaken, in what was a race against time to get mechanical demining machinery on a barge to the site before the onset of the wet season. Thankfully, this was achieved through solid team effort that resulted in the disposal of more than 25 anti-personnel mines and the clearance of over 17,000 sqm of land, making it safe for the estimated 1,500 people to settle and undertake agricultural activities, as well as for safe access for humanitarian response." - Fran O'Grady UNMAS Malakal South Sudan / Sudan

The torrential rains that Bentiu suffers often impact the runaway at the local airpot. This is one of several cargo airplanes littered around the airstrip that have crashed due to sliding on mud upon landing the aircraft. Roads are often too muddy to walk on so people most often walk along the apex of the dykes. Bentiu is unique in that anywhere where there is dry land it is only due to humanitarian built dykes. The floods span 80km, and the dykes are approximately 2.5 metres high and up to 5 metres wide. The IDP camp in Bentiu shelters 112,00+ people all displaced due to flooding and / or violence in their villages. Bentiu, South Sudan 22/08/2022 Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Mary Nyantey is forty years old. During the flooding in her village she could not carry her children - so they put the children inside large plastic tarps usually used to cover their homes and protect from rain, and tied their children in the tarps and floated their children tied into the tarps like a sack in the flooded waters - she would swim dragging the floating sack of children behind her. They have no food and have to go to the river to collect the plant called ‘Yell.' She shows the seeds from ‘yell’ from the fruit they forage in the foreground - this is what they are surviving on in one of Bentiu's IDP camps, Bentiu, South Sudan, 22/08/2022 Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Bentiu is unique in that anywhere where there is dry land it is only due to humanitarian built dykes. The floods span 80km, and the dykes are approximately 2.5 metres high and up to 5 metres wide. The IDP camp in Bentiu shelters 112,000+ people all displaced due to flooding and / or violence in their villiages. Bentiu, South Sudan 21/08/2022 "South Sudan is experiencing the worst flooding in 60 years. More than 850,000 people have been affected and need urgent life-saving support. The worst-hit is Unity State where 220,000 have been affected, including 110,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were already displaced due to conflict. The flooding is a big blow to the youngest nation in the world, which is already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with some 8.9 million people in need of humanitarian and protection assistance this year due to conflict and climate change, compared to 8.3 million people in 2021. In Bentiu, response efforts are being undertaken alongside the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the World Food Programme and the Government of Unity State. Ongoing efforts include construction and reinforcement of berms and dykes, and deployment of trash pumps to ensure continued humanitarian access at the airport and along core supply roads. In addition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities such as borehole repair and maintenance have ensured the provision of safe drinking water to the flood-affected displaced at new IDP sites." https://eastandhornofafrica.iom.int/stories/photo-story-flood-response-bentiu-south-sudan Written March 2022 Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Nyawoura Dak Top is 17 years old. In 2013 she fled Juba with her auntie and moved to a refugee camp in Kenya. Her auntie told her that her mother was dead and was absolutely traumatised by the loss of her mother. Meanwhile her mother believed that the auntie was getting her daughter an education - which did not happen. Only 1 year ago after eight years apart Nyawoura was reunited with her mother. She found out that her mother was still alive and travelled back to be with her. When they saw each other for the first time Nyawoura was frightened as she couldn't believe the mother she believed to be dead was alive and very happy to be reunited with her daughter. This was a very emotional reunion. They now live together in the Bentiu IDP camp. However Nyawourais still fearful that her father will try to arrange a marriage for her which she does not want. She wants to study and get an education. Bentiu IDP camp, South Sudan 22/08/2022. Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Dau Jach Chan is 58 years old. Dau Jach Chan is currently hosting 2 IDP families from Agok in the Abyei villiage. He has 8 children of his own ranging from 1 year old to 13 years old. Having shared all their resources with the displaced families they are no struggling to have food for their own family. There are not enough shelters and now the shelters they have are flooded. Ameth-Bek Referral Hospital, Abyei Town, South Sudan 26.08.2022 Abyei South Sudan / Sudan

Diw Luong Peat is eighty years old and was considered a sultan and involved in government opposition before he fled his village. He fled his village in a raid by the SSPDF (South Sudan People's Defence Forces - formally Sudan People's Liberation Army: SPLA) in May 2014 when 8 of his 23 children were killed, his house looted and all his cows were slaughtered. Getting to the POC (Protection of Civilians) camp was treacherous, and they only travelled by night. He believed he would not survive he journey. When they finally arrived, they were all malnourished. Some people did die on the journey some a bit later. He lost 15 children to illnesses over these years. He has 7 wives and 27 surviving children and with the loss of a total of 23 children he has had a total of 50 children. "Humanitarians are everything. They are our god, our father our food, our education, our shelter and our safety. Without them and the IDP camps all the people you see here would be dead." He explained that he cannot return to his village as the current government believes him to be the opposition so he plans to live indefinitely in the IDP camp as he doesn't believe that he will ever be safe if he returns home. Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Gatkuoth Makal Kuir is 27 years old. In 2014 he made the 4 day journey to arrive to Bentiu IDP camp from Leer, by foot. He fled his villiage when the government believed that his villige were the opposition. He and his friends were provided with guns to defend themselves and when he was shooting the PK machine gun he was given it was so loud it damaged his hearing. He still bleeds from his ears now after all this time. He wants to return to Leer but due to flooding he doesn't feel he can support his wife and child if they go there. He explained that the SSPDF recently forcably recruited thirty boys (aged 17-25) from the camp when they were playing football (soccer) in a nearby field. They were taken to fight in the front line where they were ambushed and all thirty were killed. He spends his days looking for firewood, he has to travel great distances to sell anything he can find, security and peace everywhere he goes is not guarenteed or implemented and he just wishes to coexist peacefully. Bentiu IDP camp, South Sudan 22/08/2022. Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

Residents of the Abyei IDP camp want to live in better circumstances. Their makeshift shelters are flooded daily. Families are living and sleeping in giant pools of water. The stagnant flood water has contributed to a rise of malaria and water borne illnesses, extreme malnutrition, more frequent snake bites and an increase in poor diet related diabetes as well as most recently a Measles outbreak. 27/08/2022 Abyei, South Sudan. Abyei South Sudan / Sudan

Emaciated cattle are herded along the main road in Bentiu town. Homes have been flooded in Bentiu for over 4 years now and are predicted to drain slowly over the next 6 years. A cattle herder walks along the main road of Bentiu town which cuts through the flood waters on either side of the road in Bentiu. Bentiu town, South Sudan 22/8/22. Bentiu South Sudan / Sudan

The overflowing Nile river in the Malakal reagion of the Upper Nile state, in South Sudan, 11/08/2022 Malakal South Sudan / Sudan

Canal village and its residents celebrate that the land they have resettled on after becoming IDPs is now safe land. This land they settled on was dry but contained a minefield. The villagers are celebrating the de-mining of the land, by UNMASS so that they can now propagate it and live upon it safely. 11/08/2022 - Canal Village, Malakal, Upper Niles State, South Sudan. Site History: Canal village lies in Kadak payam, Canal-Pigi County in Jonglei State. The village is situated at the confluence of River Sabot and River Nile. The village sits on a higher ground relative to the surrounding areas making it less susceptible to the cyclical floods which adversely affects the region on an annual basis. The combination of these features made Canal village an ideal location for establishment of key tactical positions during the prolonged civil war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The SAF established a barracks as a defensive position in the village and fortified it by planting anti-personnel mines around it. These anti-personnel mines remained in the ground long after the civil war ended. In 2021, the areas lying in the Sudd swamp within Unity and Jonglei States including the Canal village experienced the worst flooding in over half a century. Large populations were displaced from their villages and Canal village hosted an IDP camp for those seeking shelter in higher grounds. The IDPs settled in the former SAF barracks including the mined areas. IDPs reported the presence of anti-personnel mines to UNMAS and consequently, UNMAS deployed a mechanical clearance team in April 2022 to conduct a minefield clearance task. The task was completed (with all explosive hazards/anti-personnel mines removed) a month later with an area totalling 17,487 sqm cleared and released to the community. "Early this year, UNMAS responded to community requests from a remote village in Canal where IDPs had resettled on a known minefield Malakal South Sudan / Sudan