Wedwil refugee settlement. (Photo: Courtesy).

The South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network is urging prompt humanitarian intervention in Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s Wedwiel Refugee Camp where at least 24 people reportedly died in October due to inadequate food and health services.

Wedwiel Settlement Camp is hosting over 13,000 refugees who have fled the ravaging Sudan’s war.

The rights defenders said the refugees, especially vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children, and the elderly, have little to no access to necessary medical care and emergency services.

James Bidal, head of the SSHRD secretariat, stressed the need for aid agencies to provide consistent food supplies and an effective healthcare response to alleviate hunger among the camp’s residents.

He said the provision of drugs and basic nutritional support is essential to prevent further loss of lives and sustain the health and dignity of those living in precarious conditions.

Mr. Bidal encourages the government and non-governmental organizations to support these life-saving needs.

“We urges immediate action from all humanitarian agencies and government authorities to support these life-saving needs,” he said in a WhatsApp interview with Eye Radio from Stockholm, Sweden.

“Providing consistent food supplies and an effective healthcare response system is not just a humanitarian duty but a moral obligation that must be met without delay. We urge all humanitarian organizations and government authorities to act swiftly.”

“Lives are on the line, and inaction is not an option. Providing adequate food, medical resources, and emergency response capacity in Wedwiel is not only a humanitarian necessity but also a moral imperative.”

Bidal added that the recent death of 24 refugees in Wedwiel Settlement Camp, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, are a tragic reminder of the dire conditions facing thousands of displaced individuals in South Sudan.

“Hunger and preventable illnesses continue to claim lives, particularly among vulnerable groups, due to insufficient access to food and medical services. This ongoing crisis calls for immediate and coordinated action from humanitarian agencies and government bodies to uphold the basic human rights of refugees in the country.”