Kauto drought forces hundreds to migrate in South Sudan

Hundreds of families in the Kauto Administrative Area of Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan, are fleeing their homes due to a severe and prolonged drought. The lack of rainfall, which has persisted for over a year, has led to acute food deprivation and significant livestock losses.

Local officials and national lawmaker Angelo Lokinga Lotabo report that displaced communities are migrating toward mining sites, Kapoeta, Narus, and neighboring Ethiopia in search of water and food. Many families have been forced to sell their livestock—a vital form of capital and social status—to purchase immediate sustenance. However, those arriving at mining areas face additional hardships due to a lack of water in those locations.

Lomanat Kevin Joseph Lokirita, Chief Administrator of Kauto, noted that changing weather patterns and persistent drought have undermined food production for approximately five years. The crisis is particularly severe in the bomas of Kauto, Lotimor, Kuron, and Lole. While younger people and livestock keepers are migrating, women, children, and the elderly often remain in villages with extremely limited access to resources.