Disease kills children, causes miscarriages in camps near Nyala, South Darfur

The sheikh of a camp near Nyala, South Darfur, has told Radio Dabanga the deteriorating heath and sanitary conditions at the site have resulted in the death of four children, and caused four women to miscarry this week. In addition, five children have died of diarrhoea at a camp in the vicinity. Sheikh Abdul Karim Abakar of Attash camp says that as relief organisations have not yet provided support for the newly displaced to build houses, the four women concerned have only their own clothing to shelter themselves and their children from the sun.There is inadequate sanitation, which forces many of the displaced to defecate in the open, he said. Sheikh Abkar warned about the spread of disease at the camp, especially as more displaced people arrive every day. He made an urgent appeal to humanitarian aid organisations to “move quickly to save the sick”.The Attash camp is far from unique. An activist told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that five children have died of diarrhoea at Dreige camp where the disease is spreading fast. The activist warned of “an impending health disaster”.He pointed out that the newly displaced are directly exposed to the hot sun. Children drink un-boiled water, which is a direct cause of diarrhoea.The activist appealed to the federal Ministry of Health and all aid organisations to pay attention to them and provide them with assistance: “Why can’t the government take care of all displaced persons the way they do in Abu Karshola, Umm Rawaba and El Rahad? We are all equals. We are Sudanese.”Thousands of people fleeing tribal clashes and battles between government and rebel forces in, mainly, South and East Darfur have arrived at the Nyala camps in the past two months. This humanitarian crisis stretches the capacity and resources of camps to the extreme.File photo by Albert González Farran/Unamid  Related: Militia attacks, diseases kill 10 in South Darfur camp (21 May 2013)