Communities in Rubkona County are returning to farming and rebuilding their livelihoods following the reclamation of nearly 50 square kilometres of flood-affected land.The land was reclaimed through the rehabilitation of the Site E dykes and the Pakur area under the Government of South Sudan's 2025 initiatives, implemented by the International Organization for Migration, IOM, with financial support from the World Bank through the Enhancing Community Resilience Project, ECRP II.The initiative has enabled displaced families to return home, resume farming and livestock grazing, and improve access to essential services and infrastructure.Farmers say the reclaimed land has improved food security, with some families now cultivating crops including cassava, sorghum, eggplant, and okra. For Tap and his family of 10, the reclaimed land has transformed their lives. They now cultivate more than six hectares of farmland, growing cassava, sorghum, eggplant, and okra to feed their family. Before returning to their land, they survived mainly on fish and edible water weeds, including water hyacinths. “We lost our land, our home, and even our animals,” said Tap, expressing hope for a better harvest this season. “I hope to keep part of the harvest as seed for the next planting season instead of buying seeds.”Ruai Tuil, a farmer and former internally displaced person, said the initiative has significantly improved food security, with more than 150 people benefiting from produce grown on their farms. “Our suffering of eating water weeds is now over. We are eating what we planted, and more crops and trees are being grown,” he said. Bentiu Town Council Mayor Nyachieng Biey said the impact of flooding has reduced significantly this year as water levels have fallen. She said the land reclamation initiative has supported resettlement, infrastructure recovery, and the restoration of livelihoods. “Important infrastructure has been rehabilitated. The appearance of the town has changed, and people now have better access to water, schools, hospitals, and can move around more easily,” she said, crediting the government's leadership and community participation.IOM ECRP II Project Manager Alexander Bartoloni said the interventions are helping communities regain access to essential services while strengthening livelihoods. “Rubkona County is witnessing meaningful progress in restoring critical infrastructure and strengthening resilience against recurrent flooding.” “As communities and local government lead their own development, investments in flood protection, roads, schools, and water infrastructure are expanding access to essential services and laying the foundation for a more resilient future.”IOM says the construction of the dykes is providing a long-term solution to recurrent flooding, protecting lives and livelihoods while enabling communities to safely return and rebuild.The project also supports flood resilience, rehabilitation of roads, schools, water infrastructure, and other essential services in Rubkona County.In some areas, floodwaters reached depths of between 1.5 and 2 metres, making it impossible for community-led flood protection measures to withstand the scale and duration of the flooding. As a result, many families were forced to abandon their homes and relocate to Bentiu and Rubkona in search of safety and access to essential services. IOM Engineer Tombe Anthony Jadalla said the scale of the flooding demonstrated the need for a permanent flood protection system. “While communities made every effort to protect themselves using locally available means, the magnitude of the flooding far exceeded what these temporary measures could handle. This highlighted the need for a properly engineered flood protection system.” “The construction of the dykes has provided a more robust and long-term solution, helping reduce flood risk, protect lives and livelihoods, and enable displaced families to safely return to and remain in their communities.”

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