The area Director General for Health and Environment, Elijah Wol Chol said the cases recorded at Panrieng referral hospital mainly originated from Lake No and Jamjan counties.
“On April, 2024, a pair of twins were born with defects at the Panrieng referral hospital. Tragically, both boys passed away shortly after birth,” he explained.
Chol said deformities and miscarriages are common in communities and remote areas, attributing them to the negative environmental impact of oil exploration.
He said the harsh environmental conditions threaten the population in the area.
Chol called for an environmental audit and relocation of people living near the oil companies to protect them from potential harm caused oil contamination.
He said they reported the matter to the national government for its intervention.
Environmentalists say years of bloody civil wars in South Sudan affected ecosystem management, especially in the oil producing areas of the country.
