Unexpectedly heavy rains have caused devastating floods across the entire Jonglei region in the eastern part of South Sudan, leaving land previously parched by the sweltering sun submerged in deep, stagnant water.

“Over 78 people died because of these floods,” says Boma Governor, David Yau Yau. “Some of the livestock, the cows in the cattle camps, also destroyed. People’s belongings have been destroyed. The whole of Boma is covered with water. The situation is helpless up until now.

While the water is receding, the immense humanitarian need remains. Hundreds of people are crammed into makeshift camps outside the governor’s office. Children are unable to go to school, so they find entertainment instead by fishing in the temporary lakes created by the rain.

Samuel Gai has lived in Pibor his whole life.

The 35-year-old has survived civil war as well as long-standing intercommunal conflict between the warring Murle and Dinka tribes that has involved cattle-raiding, child abduction and a cycle of revenge attacks.

After strenuous efforts by local Governors to build peace over the past few years, that violence has significantly reduced with the different ethnic groups living together in relative harmony recently.

“A lot of abducted children have been recovered across the neighbouring communities. Cows have been returned and taken back to their owners,” says Boma Governor, David Yau Yau. “We are planning to open up some routes towards lasting peace in the border areas and all the entry points so that our youth are mobilized peacefully to stay together.”

But devastating floods have put the ongoing reconciliation at risk with severely damaged roads limiting the ability of communities to travel to meet each other for peace-building activities.

“To make peace, we need to be able to move around – so the youth of this area can move to other locations and discuss how to make peace,” says Samuel Gai. “Then youth from the other tribe can come here too, so we can share information and stop the violence.”