South Sudan: At least 89 killed by mystery disease as World Health Organisation deploys taskforce amid fears of horror outbreak

The minister of land, Lam Tungwar Kueigwong said that severe floods have increased the spread of diseases such as malaria and caused malnutrition in children due to food shortages across the northern states.

Oil from the fields in the region had contaminated the water, he said, leading to the death of domestic animals.

International charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates in the area said the suffering caused by the floods, including food shortages and illnesses, is putting pressure on the health facilities.

They said: "We are extremely concerned about malnutrition, with severe acute malnutrition levels two times the WHO threshold.

"The number of children admitted to our hospital with severe malnutrition doubling since the start of the floods."

South Sudan has been staring at a catastrophic humanitarian crisis as extreme floods hit the country for the third consecutive year.

Humanitarian agencies warned that the situation is threatening to cause an outbreak of waterborne diseases and malaria, and lead to food insecurity and malnutrition.

The flooding has cut off communities from accessing supplies of food and other vital commodities, as more than 700,000 people have been affected by the worst flooding for nearly 60 years.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said climate change was to blame.

Nearly a decade after South Sudan gained independence following a war, it faces the threat of conflict, climate change and COVID-19, the outgoing head of the U.N. mission in the country said in March.

Nearly all the population depends on international food aid, and most basic services such as health and education are provided by the United Nations agencies and aid groups.

References

1. ^{^} BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)