About 27 people have died from oil pollution-related illnesses in Unity State, according to officials.

Unity is an oil-producing state. Many oil wells are located in various parts of the country.

They say the impact of chemical waste on human and the environment, in some parts of the state is severe.

“The deaths….are related to the petroleum and the effect could be the chemical in contact with the petroleum because they do not know one can get a drum, a chemical storage drum and then use it. Later on, he develops an infection,” said Micheal Deng, Environmental Health Officer.

A petroleum company operating in the area says they have started treating the water, within the reach of the people.

Mohamed Lino Benjamin, Vice President of the Dar Petroleum Company, says the company has enough money for the operation.

“At the moment we have started the process, after one or two years there will be no water on the surface because we are injecting this chemical water into the ground,” he said.

Meanwhile the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Petroleum, Moses Machar, says the government is in the process of operationalizing the petroleum act, to guide the work of the companies in the oil fields in the country.

He was speaking during a workshop on the Framework for Social and Environmental Audit within the oil sector in the South Sudan on Saturday.