Shortage of medicines as disease spreads in Darfur camps

Each day, an average of 100 displaced inhabitants of Kalma camp near Nyala in South Darfur visit the clinic of the American Refugee Committee (ARC) complaining of diarrhoea. Others suffer from conjunctivitis and there is a spread of influenza. ARC physician Dr Saleh Ahmed Ali told Radio Dabanga the spread of disease can be attributed to the deterioration of the environmental sanitation and rains in the camp. “Our organisation is anxious to provide medicines to the displaced and we predict that a supply will arrive in Nyala within the next few days.” The displaced at the nearby Attash camp are suffering similar ailments, with diarrhoea and vomiting among children as well as the spread of green flies in the camp. Sheikh Abdel Karim Abkar reported to Radio Dabanga on Thursday the spread of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting among children, warned of a health disaster in the camp due to the spread of green flies and appealed to the organizations working in the field of health and state health authorities to move to spray pesticides and bridge the pools of water. On the other hand, Sheikh Abkar reported that there are only two health centres in the camp, namely Rufaidah and the Red Crescent. He says they cannot provide treatment for all the displaced. “The newly displaced persons are forced to go to the city of Nyala for treatment; which doubles their suffering as they have not been provided with health services inside the camp ever since their displacement from their home areas,” Sheikh Abkar lamented. File photoRelated: Floods, flies, fever and famine in Darfur camps (24 July 2013)Life ‘harsh and intolerable’ for Darfur displaced (23 July 2013)UN Chief: ‘Situation in Darfur continues to regress’ (22 July 2013)Short rations, rising Ramadan prices plague Darfur displaced (12 July 2013)