At least five people succumbed to rabies in the contested territory of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan, the medical aid charity Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said. 

Dut Athian, who works for a medical facility run by the MSF in Abyei area, told Abyei Today program that about five people died after rabid dog bites. He further said about 80 people who have a rabies infection reported themselves to the health facility for treatment.

He called on citizens to report rabies cases to the facility, saying antiviral drugs for the treatment of rabies are available in the area.“Some people who were bitten by rabid dogs, they came to the hospital after 20 days, this will deteriorate their health condition, and this makes it difficult for them to receive treatment,” said Dut.

“People must come to the hospital not later than five days after the dog bite, if the symptoms of rabies appeared, it is not possible to be treated,” he added.

Meanwhile, Malual Monyluak, Commissioner of Rumamer County, called on local youth to kill rabid dogs by traditional tools due to lack of guns in Abyei, while calling on local residents to report any rabies cases to any nearby hospital.“We call on the citizens and youth to initiate a campaign in neighbourhoods and kill rabid dogs with arrows and sticks,” said Monyluak.

“We want to reduce the number of rabid dogs, but the citizens want the government to do everything to them, we are living in extraordinary situations because our area is a demilitarized area,” he added.

NOTICE OF CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misquoted the Rummamer commissioner and MSF medical staff.