from EMMANUEL MANYANG in Juba, South Sudan
South Sudan Bureau
JUBA, (CAJ News) -THE war in Sudan, which has resulted in an exodus of citizens in neighbouring countries, is exacerbating the outbreak of cholera in South Sudan.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Health declared an outbreak at the end of October.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has set up a 20-bed cholera treatment unit (CTU) at the Renk Civil Hospital.
It has so far received and treated 45 cholera cases, and recorded among them two deaths.
Most of the patients are people arriving from the war in neighbouring Sudan, where a cholera outbreak was declared in August 2024.
An average of up to 800 people are entering Renk daily from Sudan.
However, the MSF teams have also received patients from the local population.
Contaminated water sources, open defecation, and overcrowded living conditions due to new arrivals from Sudan pose a significant threat to both refugees and the local community.
“Given the inadequate, overcrowded living conditions and continued influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan into [the cities of] Renk and Malakal, there is an imminent urgent need for a response to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene situation to prevent further spread of the disease,” said Emanuele Montobbio, MSF’s field coordinator for Renk.
In Malakal, less than 300km away from Renk, MSF teams have observed a sharp rise in cholera cases. This is an onward travel destination for many returnees and refugees coming from Renk after fleeing Sudan.
This has prompted the establishment of a cholera treatment unit at MSF’s Malakal Town Hospital. As of 12 November, in less than a week 65 patients have been admitted to the facility.
MSF has established a cholera treatment centre in Assosa, less than 10km away from Malakal Town Hospital, with capacity of up to 100 beds.
– CAJ News