Staff Correspondent

Blue Helmets from Bangladesh serving with the United Nations Peacekeeping mission in South Sudan got appreciation from local residents for providing free medical services through a camp in Kuajok.

They provided treatment through a free medical camp that treated more than 100 people with various ailments, including malaria, which is rampant during the rainy season in the area, according to a UN peacekeeping official statement received here on Friday.

Local residents of Kuajok and the wider Warrap regions have been unable to access healthcare because of a scarcity of medical centres, as the towns were destroyed during the conflict that raged across South Sudan in 2013 and 2016, according to the release.

The statement said that Kuajok and the wider Warrap regions are yet to be rebuilt due to the ongoing dire economic situation.

"Our aim was to support the most vulnerable and build a strong relationship between the peacekeeping mission and the communities," said Major Shadid Al-Amin, a Bangladeshi medical officer.

"We are here to serve to the best of our ability. We hope to have made a difference to their lives," the official said.

When Anei Kuol, a 60-year-old beneficiary, arrived at the temporary medical camp, he had been suffering from pain for three days without treatment. "It is a relief to finally get the care that I need," he said.

A public health officer from the Kuajok Ministry of Health, Ngor Bol Majok, said the continued support from the Bangladeshi peacekeepers provided a lifeline for many community members who are struggling to survive financially, let alone access the medical care they need to live healthy and productive lives, the UN statement added.