Between July and October 2019, unprecedented flooding struck South Sudan, severely affecting Maban County in Upper Nile State and impacting 900,000 people, including 490,000 children. The flood was the most destructive in over four decades, displacing more than 200,000 people, destroying crops, livestock, homes, and key livelihood assets, and severely limiting access to basic services. Families who lost their homes or could not access them sought refuge on higher ground, often competing for scarce resources, leading to food insecurity and negative coping strategies such as withdrawing children from school or marrying girls off early. Flooding also disrupted education, with schools damaged, repurposed as shelters, or inaccessible, and caused exposure to water- and vector-borne diseases, alongside serious psychosocial impacts including fear, anxiety, and trauma among children.
In response, Save the Children implemented a locally led anticipatory action programme to strengthen community resilience and reduce reliance on external support. The programme focused on community-led awareness, risk communication, and the development of local early warning systems. Flood-preparedness committees were established to create community-based action plans that identified specific vulnerabilities and capacities of children, adolescents, youth, and people with disabilities, while promoting gender equality. Pre-crisis cash grants supported vulnerable households, enabling temporary relocation, purchase of emergency supplies, and protection of livelihoods. Improvements to school facilities, including temporary learning spaces, ensured children could continue their education and reduced the risk of learning loss.
A child-responsive approach was central to the programme. Activities were co-developed with communities, including children and youth, and built on local capacities and knowledge. School-based Disaster Risk Reduction clubs enabled children to lead anticipatory actions, conduct awareness campaigns, prepare evacuation plans, and create flood-safe learning environments. These initiatives were supported by small grants and technical assistance, ensuring children’s direct engagement in planning and implementing solutions tailored to their needs.
The programme successfully addressed both economic and non-economic losses and damages. Shock-responsive social protection measures, particularly cash grants, helped families meet basic needs, avoid negative coping strategies, and maintain continuity of education. Child-led anticipatory actions strengthened preparedness, enhanced psychosocial well-being, and increased resilience for future flood events. The initiative highlighted the value of empowering local structures, harnessing local knowledge, and decentralizing decision-making to ensure responses were context-specific, inclusive, and sustainable.
Through participatory approaches, the programme activated the capacities of marginalized and previously disengaged groups, fostering inclusive dialogue and collective understanding of risks and vulnerabilities. Children and youth were actively involved in community action planning, flood risk communication, and anticipatory planning, while their families benefited from broader social and economic support. Despite its achievements, financial constraints limited the programme’s ability to address the full scale of losses and damages, leaving a pressing need for support in rebuilding homes, restoring infrastructure, and addressing physical and mental health impacts. Dedicated loss and damage financing is critical to enable both immediate recovery and long-term resilience-building in Maban County.
