Medicine Sans Frontiers or MSF accused United Nations Mission in South Sudan or UNMISS of failing to improve living conditions of 21 thousand Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs living in a flood prone area of Tomping camp, exposing them to waterborne diseases.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, MSF said UNMISS took no actions to improve IDPs’ chances of survival despite humanitarian organisations’ repeated requests.
MSF Emergency Coordinator Carolina Lopez said, ‘The UNMISS decision not to improve conditions in Tomping is shameful.’
She revealed that in the first rainfall 150 latrines collapsed, mixing with floodwater and people living in natural drainage channels as there is no other space.
The Emergency Coordinator said there are 65 people per latrine, questioning UN’s commitment to meet IDPs’ needs.
She lamented that IDPs were crowded and prone to flood, diarrhoeal, respiratory infections and skin diseases making 60 percent of medical cases in MSF clinic.
Ms Lopez argued that UN plan to establish an alternative site was mired in implementation delays and is now unrealistic.