High respiratory deaths in South Sudan camp - WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is an increase in respiratory-related deaths amongst displaced people living in Bentiu camp in South Sudan’s oil-rich Unity State.

The camp is managed by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and currently hosts 111,766 people who fled their homes because of fighting between government and rebel troops in 2013.

WHO official Joseph Wamala told reporters in the capital, Juba, that the risk of infection is higher at the camps because of conditions like malnutrition.

“We have actually uncovered trends that we are still investigating to determine whether the rise in respiratory-related deaths is due to Covid-19 or a different ailment,” Dr Wamala said.

South Sudan has so far confirmed 1,693 coronavirus cases with 49 recoveries and 27 deaths as the pandemic continues to spread beyond Juba.