Climate-driven floods and oil spills threaten health in South Sudan's Bentiu camp

In Bentiu, Unity State, floodwaters that have lingered since 2021 have submerged oil wells, contaminating water and fish and sparking reports of illness and birth defects among displaced residents.

Bentiu's Protection of Civilians camp, originally built for thousands of internally displaced persons, is now surrounded by floodwaters that have persisted for four years after unprecedented 2021 rains linked to climate change. Satellite analysis shows that roughly 41% of the region's oil wells were submerged, with more than 50 still underwater, allowing oil-related contaminants to seep into the Sudd wetlands and local water sources.

Residents report fish that emit a penicillin-like odor, and health officials at Bentiu State Hospital observe increasing numbers of miscarriages, malformed newborns, and other health problems among families living near the oil fields. Studies by the Rift Valley Institute and Kenyatta University reveal lead concentrations nearly double WHO limits and hydrocarbon levels five times higher than recommended. Despite advocacy from Council of States Deputy Speaker Ayen Mijok Kiir, which prompted a presidential inquiry, the government and oil firms have taken little concrete action, leaving the community vulnerable to ongoing environmental and public-health threats.