The Underwater State - Surviving on Waterlilies in South Sudan
In the flooded plains of Unity State, South Sudan, 99% of landscape has been swallowed by water—and with it, entire ways of life. Once a region of farmers and herders, it now stands as one of the world’s starkest frontlines of climate change, where survival itself hangs in the balance. This powerful short documentary takes viewers into communities of climate refugees trapped by rising floodwaters, where families have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their land. With crops destroyed and livestock gone, hunger has become an everyday reality. Many now are reduced to surviving by harvesting waterlilies from the floodwater. Through deeply personal interviews and unflinching moments of daily struggle, the film explores how climate change has unravelled not just an ecosystem, but an economy and a society. It captures the human cost of a crisis that forced hundreds of thousands to flee, seeking safety and a future beyond the flood.Led by Concern Worldwide and local partners, this story is not only about loss - it is also about endurance. Amid devastation, communities show extraordinary resilience, adapting in the face of an unrelenting climate disaster. Directed by Jon Hozier-Byrne, this is the fourth installment in our Concern Worldwide documentary series, illuminating the human stories behind global emergencies - and the strength, dignity, and courage it takes to survive them. This is a story of climate collapse, hunger, and displacement. But it is also a story of humanity’s unyielding will to endure. #southsudan #climatechange #climatecrisis #flood #humanitarianaid #documentary #realstories #reallife #unitystate #malnutrition #hunger Directed and presented by Jon Hozier-ByrneShot by Jon Hozier-Byrne and Eugene IkuaEdited by Niall ConroyAdditional footage by Ed Ram Special thanks to Jane Allen, Whitney Hostetter, Thomas Mayuen, Zlatko Gegic, Gavin Douglas, Sadhbh Goodhue, the entire South Sudan country team, and everyone who chose to share their stories. Subscribe to Concern here: https://shorturl.at/ok4fG Follow Concern here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/concernworldwideX: https://x.com/concernInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/concernworldwide/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/concern-worldwide/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@concernworldwide