By Hou Akot Hou
Two people have died of suspected cassava leaves poisoning in Barmayen payam, Aweil Center County of Northern Bahar El Ghazel state.
Barmayen payam based medical officer; Lino Panjaap identified the deceased as Aweng Ayok Deng, together with her son.
According to the medical officer, the woman cooked the cassava leaves as they lacked any other food to survive on.
“The woman did not have anything to eat. As she prepared the meal and ate it, the woman and her child succumb to death” says Panjaap
Panjaap appeals to community members to stop cooking food half-way and start devouring it immediately.
“Some people come and do farming here, and they are badly impacted by costs of living. So, to survive, they begin resort to cooking leaves of plants that have problems with their stomachs. This is so bad indeed,” he observed.
He says that the husband of the deceased woman is in critical condition as well and being admitted at Bar-Mayen hospital.
A similar incident is reported to have happened last week in Aroyo, the county headquarters.