Oil pollution in Unity state - Courtesy

The Ministries of Petroleum and Environment will start an environmental audit on the oilfields in Unity State and Upper Nile State on Thursday.

Speaking during the 5^th South Sudan Oil and Power Conference in Juba, Petroleum Minister Puot Kang said the hired auditors will be dispatched to the designated areas tomorrow.

“On Thursday, we shall now make it open for auditors to go to the fields, we will launch it officially for them to go to the field and do the audit and we hope the result of the audit will help us in the process and will show us how to recover.”

The first attempt to carry out the audit was in March last year, but it failed due to unknown reasons.

The Ministry of Petroleum had announced that it hired three international companies to conduct the environmental audits at Block 3 and 7 in Paloch of Upper Nile, and Block 1, 2, 4 and 5A in Unity State.

They were tasked to determine the extend of environmental pollution being felt in the areas and recommend best practices to curtail the immense impact on the oil-producing states.

Environmentalists say South Sudan experienced environmental damage, deforestation, soil and water contamination, and health issues in and around the oil-producing areas.

The civil war that started in 2013-just two years after independence was seen to have prevented the proper management of the environment.

In in the past, the Ministry of Petroleum and oil companies came under increased criticism over oil leakages that reportedly contaminated the ecosystem around the oil-producing areas.

Both local and international campaign groups have reported widespread environmental pollution, as chemicals from oil wells are said to have been washed to settlements by floodwaters, leaving animals and people affected.

Reports emerged of women giving birth to deformed babies and stillbirths, and were subsequently confirmed by indigenous community.

In 2015, German human rights and relief organization— Sign of Hope said the health of more than 180,000 people in northern Unity State was at risk due to drinking of water contaminated by the crude oil.

This was after it conducted a scientific study on water quality and contamination in the area.