MSF warns 150,000 displaced face disease risk
Funding cuts threaten water, sanitation, and health services for people in Bentiu and Malakal camps.
Around 150,000 displaced people in South Sudan's Bentiu and Malakal camps face increased risk of cholera and waterborne diseases due to funding cuts and aid withdrawals. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warns that essential water, sanitation, and health services are at risk of collapse in the coming months.
MSF deputy head of operations in South Sudan, Foued Gamoudi, stated that humanitarian needs persist for residents of Bentiu and Malakal, even after the camps were transferred to government authority. In Bentiu, an assessment found approximately 60 people share one functioning latrine, with widespread open defecation.
Displaced woman Nysunday Dobuol, living in Bentiu camp, shared that residents have already endured conflict, flooding, and cholera, and many cannot return home. South Sudan recorded nearly 110,000 cholera cases and 1,970 deaths nationwide since 2024, with Rubkona County accounting for a significant portion of recent cases.
Why it mattersAround 150,000 displaced people in South Sudan's Bentiu and Malakal camps are at risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases due to the withdrawal of aid organizations and reduced access to basic services.