♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

♦ Children's ward closed as chikungunya deaths mount in eastern Sudan

September 25 – 2018 KASSALA The children’s ward, laboratory, and pharmacy at Kassala Teaching Hospital in eastern Sudan were closed on Sunday morning after two children infected with chikungunya vomited blood. One of the children died and the other was taken to the epidemiology department.

Meanwhile hospital patients in Kassala suffering from chikungunya fever have been transferred to health centres to “show a decrease of their numbers in the main hospitals”, according to eyewitnesses. A government official in Kassala state justified the action explaining that this ensures patients of free health services. The transfer happened a day before the visit of Prime Minister Moutaz Mousa, on Monday.

Released statistics about the infections, which rapidly increased over the course of four weeks, do not correspond: the government claims that there are no daily deaths, while unofficial statistics issued by popular committees that oversee the provision of graves and coffins mention 25 people are dying per week because of chikungunya.

On social media platforms such as Twitter the hashtag #KassalaIsDying is being used by activists and others to demand the authorities to declare Kassala a disaster zone.

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♦ Unamid assists South Darfur landslide victims

September 25 – 2018 KASS Peacekeepers reached the area heavily affected by landslides in southeastern Jebel Marra on Thursday. People were killed when rocks crushed parts of villages on September 6. The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (Unamid) has deployed a joint mission together with the Humanitarian Country Team, which arrived to assist people in Wadi (valley) Tulba and Tagoli, both in Kass locality, on Thursday.

Heavy rains caused mudslides that according to initial reports killed at least 19 people and wounded at least 25 others earlier this month, the mission reported in a statement. “An unspecified number remains unaccounted for and some families have lost their homes”, the mission quotes local sources. The joint team comprises of Unamid civilian staff, the humanitarian country team, and 70 peacekeepers including six doctors. They still have to confirm the number of dead as a result of the mudslides.

Radio Dabanga reported about the disaster two weeks ago, when the Shura (consultative) Council of the Fur tribe reported that six people had gone missing. International humanitarian assistance has been largely absent for more than 10 years in the conflict-ridden Jebel Marra. Only in March this year, the Red Cross was allowed to deliver essential household supplies to Golo.

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