JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan on Thursday announced the closure of all schools for two weeks due to a continuous extreme heat wave that collapsed some students.
This is the second time a country facing extreme effects from climate change, such as rainy season floods, has closed schools during the heat waves in February and March.
Assistant Education Minister Martin Taco Moy said Thursday that “an average of 12 students were collapsed in Juba city every day.”
Most schools in South Sudan have makeshift constructions made from iron sheets and do not have electricity that allows for power cooling systems.
Environment Minister Josephine Napwon Cosmos on Thursday urged residents to stay indoors and drink water as it is expected to rise to 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
Napwon suggested that government officials “work on the shift” to avoid heat strokes.
Education workers urged the government to consider revising school calendars and reopening in April, when schools were closed in February and temperatures dropped.
Abraham Kuol Nuong, dean of Juba University’s Graduate University, told The Associated Press that calendars should be localized based on weather in 10 states.
South Sudan, a civil society group, has denounced the government for lack of proper planning and emergency planning, saying that closing schools during the heat wave “doesn’t prioritize education for South Sudan’s children.” He said it was showing.
The country’s health system is vulnerable due to political instability. Around 400,000 people died between 2013 and 2018 when the peace agreement was signed by President Salva Kiir and his rival Deputy Riek Machar.
The South Sudan election scheduled for last year has been postponed for two years due to a lack of funding.
After a massive pipeline was raptured in nearby war-torn Sudan, the country is facing an economic crisis due to a disruption in oil exports. The pipeline was later restored.
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