South Sudan has announced the closure of schools in response to an upcoming heat wave that is anticipated to persist for a two-week period
The health and education ministries have suggested that parents should ensure that all children stay indoors as temperatures are forecasted to reach 45 degrees Celsius.
According to the Guardian, they warned that any school found open during the warning period would have its registration withdrawn, but the statement issued late on Saturday did not specify how long schools would remain closed.
The ministries said they “will continue to monitor the situation and inform the public accordingly”.
Peter Garang, who lives in the capital, Juba, welcomed the decision. He said schools should be connected to the electricity grid to enable the installation of air conditioners.
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.
The World Food Programme in its latest country brief said South Sudan “continues to face a dire humanitarian crisis” due to violence, economic instability, climate change and an influx of people fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan. It also stated that 818,000 vulnerable people were given food and cash-based transfers in January.
Meanwhile, Nigeria especially some Northern States have been battling heat for weeks amid epileptic power supply and irregular water supply owing to the dry season.
