Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of oil pollution in South Sudan on the health of (a) humans and (b) animals in that country.

We are aware of reports of oil pollution in South Sudan, particularly in Paloich, Melut County and some parts of the Ruweng Administrative Area, where oil leaks have been exacerbated by flooding. The Sudd Institute have reported complaints by communities regarding the high prevalence of petroleum pollution, allegedly causing disease and reproductive health issues, including birth defects, infertility, stillbirth, and miscarriages. We have raised environmental concerns with the petroleum industry as part of wider discussions with the South Sudanese Ministry of Petroleum. We work in close coordination with development partners and civil activists who have been calling on the South Sudanese Government to conduct an environmental audit on oil pollution.