Water cuts, lack of shelter for many Sudanese refugees in Chad

Large numbers of Sudanese refugees at camp Kounongou in eastern Chad are enduring difficult conditions as they still lack plastic sheets at the beginning of the rainy season. The head of the camp, Issa Tijani, explained to Radio Dabanga that “nearly half of the population of the camp is living under difficult humanitarian conditions, as they live in the open without plastic sheets. Tijani stressed that the camp leaders have “repeatedly requested plastic sheets from humanitarian organisations without any clear response”. He requested that the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organisations to provide plastic sheeting as soon as possible. The Sudanese refugees at camp Farchana, also in eastern Chad, have complained of the scarcity of drinking water at the camp. This is largely due to the shut-down of water stations, and is especially challenging with the beginning of the month of Ramadan, according to camp sheikh Yassin Abdul Karim. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Karim said that “residents have been suffering from the scarcity of drinking water for three months, mainly due to intermittent water cuts”. He conceded that the alternative is local wells, “however a lot of the elderly and women cannot go there due to their remoteness from the camp”. He appealed via Radio Dabanga to local authorities and NGOs to address the problem quickly. File photo: Sudanese refugees in Chad (UN) Related: Health care concerns among Sudanese refugees in Chad (11 July 2013)Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad lack shelter, safe drinking water (30 May 2013)