South Sudan’s Renk County faces health crisis as over 160,000 refugees arrive from Sudan
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has forced more than 160,000 people to flee to South Sudan, with Renk County emerging as the primary destination for those seeking refuge.
The World Health Organisation on Friday said that since mid-December 2024, the influx of displaced individuals has placed tremendous pressure on South Sudan's already stretched healthcare system.
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Renk County, especially its border town and surrounding villages, is facing an urgent health crisis.
Renk County Hospital, which has long been a crucial facility for trauma care, is now overwhelmed by the increasing number of casualties from the violence near the Sudan-South Sudan border.
"The number of patients seeking care in Renk Hospital is increasing daily. We are attending to over 250 outpatients and more than 100 inpatients each day, far exceeding our operational capacity," said Dr Ayuel Lual, the medical director at Renk Hospital.
"We are grateful for the timely support from our partners, particularly WHO, whose interventions have been instrumental in keeping the hospital functional."
In response to the escalating needs, the WHO, in collaboration with humanitarian organisations, has established a temporary trauma centre to support the overwhelmed hospital.
The facility is equipped with 60 beds, an operating theatre, a triage area, and a post-operative ward to provide critical care.
However, the hospital continues to struggle with the overwhelming number of surgical cases and over 300 injuries from armed violence.
To further assist, WHO has been working alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins Sans Frontières-Belgium (MSF), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), all of whom have been vital in providing urgent medical and surgical care in these difficult conditions.
Disease outbreaks
But the situation in Renk is not just about trauma care. The worsening humanitarian crisis has dramatically increased the risk of disease outbreaks.
With overcrowding and deteriorating sanitation in refugee settlements, infectious diseases, including cholera, are spreading rapidly, further burdening an already fragile healthcare system.
Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan, stressed the seriousness of the situation.
"The scale of displacement is staggering, and health needs have risen dramatically. WHO and partners are ramping up the response by delivering essential medical supplies and expanding health services to new border crossings experiencing a surge in arrivals," he said.
WHO has expanded its emergency health services by deploying additional makeshift tents, increasing the bed capacity by 60 to handle more patients in need of lifesaving treatment.
WHO's ongoing response is supported by funding from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), which has allowed the distribution of 12.5 metric tons of emergency health kits, including supplies for emergency surgery, cholera management, and trauma care.
These kits have reached approximately 123,000 people affected by the conflict and the host communities in South Sudan.
Despite these efforts, the need for sustained humanitarian support remains critical. The escalating crisis has highlighted the importance of continued funding and coordination to ensure healthcare services meet the growing demands.
WHO and its partners are calling for long-term investment in health services to alleviate suffering and provide much-needed care for both the displaced populations and host communities in Renk County.
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