The minister of information in South Sudan’s proposed Ruweng state in northern Unity said on Tuesday there are incidents of congenital malformation among newborn children in oil areas.
Samuel Angok also reported death of cattle due to contamination of the environment after oil pipelines damaged in the conflict leaked into the ground.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, the minister said oil residues have led to congenital malformation among newborn children and death of cattle in Ruweng.
Angok pointed that the government asked oil companies not to dispose of oil residues improperly and urged them to protect the environment for the wellbeing of the people.
The minister said the area has witnessed the emergence of strange diseases among the population following the spills.
“When the oil pipelines were closed it was not done properly because there was an outbreak of the war in 2013. That’s why there are diseases that we think it was due to the oil residues like congenital malformation among newborn children,” said Angok.
The minister stressed that oil is the main cause of environmental pollution in the area, adding that it must be proved scientifically so that oil companies can put an end to these problems.
He added that the government of South Sudan in 2012 took a sample of the soil and water from Unity state to determine the cause of the environmental pollution but the process was stopped due to the outbreak of the war in 2013.
Previous studies have shown direct links between oil operations and groundwater contamination which could affect human and animal health.
File photo: Oil spill in Thar Jath, Unity state, 2015
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Sudd Institute reports cover-up of South Sudan oil spills (26 Apr. 2015)
South Sudan oil pollution threatens thousands (8 Mar. 2015)
Study: ‘Direct link’ between oil exploration and water pollution in Unity (28 Feb. 2015)
2500 cattle dead in Pariang from unknown disease (23 Feb. 2015)
New diseases at Pariang, Unity linked to oil leaks (17 Oct. 2014)
Pariang official complains of diseases caused by oil extraction (28 Sep. 2014)