Budgeting on $10m flood money at final stages – Mayen

The $10 million allocated by the government for the flood victims has reached its final stage of spending, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Peter Mayen, has revealed.

Appearing before the Parliament on Tuesday, Mayen said a technical procurement committee had been formed and that it was finalising the award of the contracts to the successful bidders to purchase the needed items for the beneficiaries.

The committee, composed of members from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Relief, and Rehabilitation Commission, and Ministry of Finance, will procure items to supply the flood victims soon.

According to the cabinet’s approval, the $10 million will be used to purchase food and non-food items as well as relocate the flood victims to higher grounds.

“Currently, the committee has finalised the bids analysis and contracts shall be awarded to successful bidders to supply food and non-food items to the flood victims,” said Mayen.

The minister was speaking during a presentation to the members of the reconstituted Parliament on the ministry’s strategy to respond to the flood that has affected thousands of citizens across the country.

Mayen said the Ministry of Finance will be expected to provide a letter of no objection that will be subsequently approved by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to allow for the final utilisation of the money.

This year, flash and riverine flooding affected eight of 10 states of South Sudan, with 31 counties severely hit, mainly in Jonglei, Unity, and the Upper Nile states, as well as Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap States, and the Lakes States.

According to Mayen, 1, 008, 000 people, most of whom are women, children, and elderly groups, have already been greatly affected by the 2021 flooding.

To prevent the future devastating impact of the flood, Mayen said his ministry has embarked on building the capacity of state and communities’ disaster preparedness.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has exerted effort to build state and local communities’ capacities on disaster preparedness and set up disaster risk management communities at the state and county levels,” he said.

According to Minster Mayen, the areas that have already been reached by the program include Aweil Center and North Counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and Maban County in Upper Nile State, according to Minster Mayen.