GENEVA

Flooding in South Sudan has already affected 273,000 people this year and could impact more than 1 million in the coming months, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said Friday.

"South Sudan is once again experiencing some very severe flooding, and unfortunately, mostly in parts of the country that have been hit by renewed fighting in the past six months," Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR's representative in South Sudan, told a UN press briefing in Geneva.

Verney said the number of people affected has more than tripled in August alone, with approximately 100,000 displaced.

"If this trend continues, we're looking at more than 1 million people affected during the next few months, of which 400,000 will be displaced," she stressed, as the rains this year are heavier than last year.

Verney said entire areas of Jonglei and Unity states have been submerged, including farmland, cattle, homes, schools, and medical facilities. She noted that the flooding coincides with conflict, food insecurity, and a cholera outbreak that has infected around 90,000 people.

UNHCR is prioritizing assistance for up to 150,000 people, she said, and the agency's assistance includes cash, emergency shelter, relief items for destroyed homes, and protection interventions.

Verney appealed for more international assistance, warning that "without additional funding, our ability to provide shelter, protection, and clean water will remain very limited."