Flooding in Aweil is not like the floods I have seen in Australia, or on the news from other parts of the world. There is no great river that breaks its banks, or walls of water gushing down from mountains sweeping away whatever is in its path. Flooding in Aweil occurs slowly, quietly, without any terror. But still devastating.
Aweil is very flat. After a big rain the water just lies where it fell. There are parts of town that are well know for being prone to flooding, but with tens of thousands returning from the north, even this land is needed for housing. Now, homes are collapsing and people are making temporary shelters on road sides. With the rains come mosquitos and with mosquitos comes malaria. This is now an epidemic and with food shortages many people are also vulnerable to other illnesses such as typhoid.
Even here in the prime location occupied by the UN my tent is completely surrounded by water. And frogs, snakes and mosquitos. While this is little more than an inconvenience, it helps me to appreciate the suffering of those whose lives are threatened by the latest in what must seem to be a never-ending series of challenges.
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