All schools in South Sudan will be shut starting on Monday as they prepare for a predicted severe heatwave lasting for a duration of two weeks.
The health and education departments have recommended that parents keep their children indoors due to predicted temperatures reaching 45C (113F).
They cautioned that any school discovered to be open during the warning period would lose its registration, but the statement released on Saturday evening did not indicate the duration of the school closures.
The ministries stated that they will “continuously observe the situation and provide updates to the public as needed”.
Peter Garang, a resident of Juba, the capital city, expressed his approval for the decision. He believes that schools should have access to electricity in order to be able to install air conditioning units.
South Sudan, one of the world’s youngest nations, is particularly vulnerable to the climate crisis with heatwaves common but rarely exceeding 40C (104F). Civil conflict has plagued the east African country, which also suffers drought and flooding, making living conditions difficult.
According to the most recent country brief by the World Food Programme, South Sudan is still experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis caused by violence, economic uncertainty, changing weather patterns, and an increase of individuals seeking refuge from the conflict in Sudan. The report also revealed that in January, 818,000 people in need received food aid and financial assistance.
Source: theguardian.com
