MSF calls for “immediately” increased efforts to stop cholera outbreak in South Sudan

The NGO warns that the situation is “the result of systematic neglect” given the drastic increase in cases

Dec. 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called to “immediately” increase efforts to stop the cholera outbreak in South Sudan and has warned that internally displaced people are especially vulnerable due to their living conditions in the camps.

“What we are witnessing is not just an outbreak of cholera, it is the result of systematic abandonment,” said the head of the NGO’s mission in South Sudan, Mamman Mustapha, who detailed that “the camps are overwhelmed by mountains of uncollected waste”, while “the latrines are broken” and have led people to relieve themselves in the open fields.

“Waste flows between people’s shops and food stalls. As a result, drinking water is contaminated and patients arrive at cholera treatment centers in critical condition,” he lamented, while warning of that “many people are at death’s door” due to the outbreak in the African country.

Without immediate action to address the poor conditions in which people live, cholera cases are expected to skyrocket in the coming days and weeks, with MSF responding to the outbreak in five of the seven, Mustapha said. affected states, where it provides health care, water and hygiene support, as well as community services.

The NGO teams are witnessing, particularly in the camps in Unidad and Central Ecuatoria, an alarming increase in suspected cases of cholera. Tens of thousands have been living for more than a decade in the Bentiu and Rubkona camps, where they arrived fleeing violence and whose conditions are inadequate, worsened by the lack of funds from donors.

In addition, local communities are equally exposed to contaminated water, with little access to latrines, which has resulted in 4,007 cases of cholera being detected in Rubkona County since the outbreak was declared on October 28 to December 15. .

The organization’s emergency response coordinator in South Sudan, Albert Stern, detailed that “in just four weeks, MSF teams have treated more than 1,210 cholera patients, many of whom arrive in critical condition due to dehydration. serious”. “Tragically, 92 lives have been lost in Unity State,” he added.

MSF has also highlighted that the outbreak is also worsening in the former camps for the protection of civilians set up by the United Nations, in the capital, Juba, where some 63,000 people live, with 1,700 cases treated in recent weeks and at least 25 deaths confirmed. .

Nyaluak Kuol and her two-year-old son, Tesloach Manah, said after being treated at an MSF center that the camp they live in is “overcrowded” and added that “the situation continues to worsen.” “For almost three weeks there has been a great shortage of water,” he said.

“I am relieved that my son is being discharged, but deep down I fear having to return. No matter how hard I try to keep my house clean, the entire camp is contaminated,” she lamented, a situation that has led MSF to claim help contain the outbreak.

Finally, the organization has also called for the launch of a nationwide vaccination campaign, for which it is key to address delays in vaccine distributions and provide more funding to reinforce the response and launch specially focused community interventions. in high-risk groups, such as displaced people.