Disease Outbreak Looms Amid Unrest in South Sudan: WHO

An outbreak of violence in South Sudan has displaced nearly 200,000 people, and the World Health Organization warns that there is a looming risk of disease outbreaks as a result.

The civil unrest in the world's newest nation has prompted the US to effectively shutter its embassy there because of the "deteriorating security situation" in the country. 

The WHO reports that a total of 195,416 people have been displaced primarily from four of South Sudan's 10 states: Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile. About 75,000 of these people have been relocated to UN peace-keeping bases.

"The poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in the camps, coupled with a shortage of health workers\health care providers, poses health risks to thousands of displaced persons in the UN camp bases," Dr. Abdi Aden Mohammed, the WHO Country Representative in South Sudan, said in a statement.

"Even with the tremendous efforts made by health partners, sanitation conditions are still inadequate largely due to the large number of people sheltering in UN bases which have insufficient space to house these numbers. Coupled with poor water and sanitation conditions, overcrowding in the camps may create conditions ripe for disease outbreaks," Abdi continued.

Caring for the displaced people has been confounded by the civil unrest, which began last month when the South Sudanese government accused fugitive former Vice President Machar of planning a coup, a charge he strongly denies.

"A shortage of health care workers in states affected by conflict makes provision of quality primary health care a challenge," the WHO said. "Many health care workers and NGO partners supporting health services have fled their homes for safety."

In the restive Jonglei state, for example, Bor State Hospital there has been rendered non-operational "due to insecurity and displacement of all health workers," the WHO said.

Earlier, South Sudanese rebel forces took control of Bor, the strategic capital of Jonglei state.

"The city's mayor says Bor is now in the hands of forces loyal to rebel leader Riek Machar, after government troops made a tactical withdrawal," PressTV reported. "The two sides have been fighting over the city since Tuesday."

A full review of the ongoing crisis in South Sudan is available here.