Cholera beds sold in Darfur’s Mornei camp

Leaders of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Mornei camp in West Darfur strongly criticized a health authority for selling used beds to IDPs. These beds were previously used by humanitarian organizations to treat cholera patients. Camp leaders fear they may still be infected. One of the sheikhs of the camp told Radio Dabanga the environmental health manager in Mornei, Hafiz Mohammad, sold 60 beds last week for between 40 to 70 Sudanese pounds to IDPs. These beds, meant to be burned, were temporarily stored by humanitarian organizations that treated cholera patients. The sheikh fears a cholera outbreak in the Mornei camp due to the use of the infected beds by IDPs. He appealed to those that had bought the beds either burn them or return them to the environmental health administration as soon as possible. The camp leader demanded that health authorities in West Darfur hold Hafiz Mohammad accountable for his actions and that procedures be taken to protect the IDPs from possible casualties related to cholera infection.