Sudanese refugees in Chad camps suffer lack of medical care, drinking water

The Farchana refugee camp in eastern Chad is suffering from a severe shortage of medicines and medical staff. Mohamed Dafallah, the head of the camp, told Radio Dabanga that people being ill have to queue from the early morning until the evening to see the doctor at the camp health centre. “There is only one doctor for the population of the camp totalling more than 26,000 refugees. The suffering of the patients extends beyond seeing a doctor because they often do not get the medication prescribed as their conditions do not allow them to buy it at the pharmacy due to the high medicine prices.” Dafallah appealed to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to speed up the provision of medicines and bring extra doctors to the camp. Treguine refugee campThe Sudanese refugees of the Treguine camp in eastern Chad have renewed their demands to the UNHCR and the humanitarian organisations working in the field of water to provide them with potable water. Ali Yagoub, the head of the camp, told Radio Dabanga that until now they have been getting their water supply from traditional wells, due to the collapse of the only water well in the camp a year ago. The water from the traditional wells is unsafe for drinking. Yagoub added that several times they have requested the UNHCR agency to help solving the problem. Yet to no avail. File photo: Donkey cart with drum of clean water (Radio Dabanga)