SOUTH SUDAN on Saturday said it would close schools and told
children not to play outside as temperatures were set to soar to an exceptional
45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
Heatwaves
are becoming increasingly common in the East African country, which is
particularly vulnerable to climate change, but temperatures rarely exceed 40C.
"High
temperatures of 41C-45C are expected this week," the ministries of
education, health and environment said in a statement, adding that the heatwave
was expected to last "at least two weeks".
"There
are already cases of death related to excessive heat being reported," they
added, without giving further details.
The
government will close all schools from March 18 due to the "serious health
hazards" posed to students.
"Parents
are advised to stop their children from playing outdoors," the statement
added, saying young children in particular should be monitored for signs of
heatstroke.
Episodes
of drought and increasingly extreme rainfall are adding to already difficult
living conditions in South Sudan, which has been plagued by violence and
economic instability since it declared independence from Sudan in 2011.
Scientists
say that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that
these heatwaves are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
One
of the poorest countries in the world despite large oil reserves, South Sudan
has spent almost half of its life as a nation at war, and has also endured
persistent natural disasters, famine, economic collapse and communal conflict.
According
to the UN, 80 percent of the country's estimated 11 million populations will
need humanitarian aid in 2024.
A
power-sharing peace agreement was signed in 2018, but many of its provisions
remain unfulfilled due to ongoing disputes.