The organization Medair says that it has begun an effort to assist thousands of people who fled recent violence in Pibor town to Vertet Payam and who now lack medical care, food, clean drinking water and other essential needs.

In a statement to Radio Tamazuj last Thursday, Medair said that they are working to set up health services in Vertet Payam, pointing out that the services will be available to both host community and displaced people.

“In Vertet, there are no health services available at all,” recounts Liz Lewis, Medical Manager on Medair’s Emergency Response Team in South Sudan, who visited the area recently to conduct a needs assessment. “Thousands of people are currently living in temporary shelter. They only have dirty, green water from the river to drink, which is a real and immediate health threat.”

According to Medair, some people in Vertet are eating mainly only lalop and tamarind, two local fruits, which do not provide them with enough nutrients to keep their bodies healthy and fight diseases. “The situation is very alarming and urgent humanitarian action is needed,” she said.

The nearest available health care services are located in Pibor, a four-hour walk away, and many people are too fearful to go back to Pibor due to recent fighting.

“To help the people survive this desperate time, Medair’s Emergency Response Team is working around the clock to set up primary health care services in Vertet, providing much needed care to treat common but deadly diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea,” reads the press statement from Medair.

The shortage of services was also highlighted by the Vertet County Commissioner Joseph Gero in a recent interview with Radio Tamazuj. He pointed out that there is not enough clean drinking water in the area and he issued a call for assistance.

File photo: A Medair worker speaks to a mother about her malnourished child