South Sudan shutters all schools as it prepares for an extreme heat wave

Beginning on Monday, South Sudan will close all of its schools in anticipation of a severe heat wave that is predicted to linger for two weeks.

The health and education ministries urged parents to keep all of their kids inside because of the predicted 45 degree Celsius (113 degree Fahrenheit) heat wave.

A statement released late on Saturday stated that any school found to be open during the warning period would have its registration revoked, although it did not say for how long.

According to their statement, the ministries “will continue to monitor the situation and inform the public accordingly.”

Peter Garang, a resident of Juba, the capital, applauded the decision. According to him, “schools should be connected to the electricity grid” so that air conditioners may be installed.

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South Sudan, one of the world’s youngest nations, is particularly vulnerable to climate change with heat waves common but rarely exceeding 40 C (104 F). Civil conflict has plagued the east African country which also suffered from drought and flooding, making living conditions difficult for residents.

The World Food Program in its latest country brief said South Sudan “continues to face a dire humanitarian crisis” due to violence, economic instability, climate change and an influx of people fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan. It also stated that 818,000 vulnerable people were given food and cash-based transfers in January.