Deaths of refugees in South Sudan "worrying": UNHCR
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A new arrival in South Sudan’s Yida camp gets her arm measured as part of malnutrition screening.
Health workers are intensifying their efforts to stop what has been described as "the alarming" rates of malnutrition, disease and death in two camps hosting Sudanese refugees in South Sudan.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says there are 60,000 refugees in Yida camp in Unity State and 35,000 in Batil camp in Upper Nile state.
UNHCR spokesperson, Melisa Flemming says the challenges are daunting in Yida camp where most refugees have been arriving in a very weak state, exhausted, dehydrated and malnourished.
"Our health workers there and MSF have seen a significant hike in death rates among refugee children in late June and early July. MSF was reporting a very sad figure of an average of five children dying every day, mostly from diarrhoea and infections. We have altogether managed to stabilize the mortality and morbidity rates, some have even decreased although the situation remains very worrying."
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UNHCR is working with Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, and other partners to provide emergency treatment and potable water to the refugees.
