13 Sudanese Die of Hunger in Refugee Camp in Chad
The Sudanese Doctors Network announced today (Saturday) that 13 people died of hunger last week in the Gaga refugee camp for Sudanese in Chad.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the network said: “Sudanese refugees in the Gaga camp in Chad are suffering from catastrophic humanitarian conditions due to a lack of food and medicine, and the spread of diseases, as a result of the neglect by international and humanitarian organizations. Thirteen people died from hunger over the past week, threatening the fate of thousands of Sudanese in the camp.”
The network called on international and UN organizations to fulfill their role in providing urgent food supplies to the 21,000 Sudanese refugees in Gaga camp, and to help prevent further displacement in search of food and medicine.
It expressed deep regret over the deteriorating conditions of Sudanese refugees in Chad and the international community’s neglect of displaced Sudanese. The network emphasized that what is happening exposes the shortcomings of aid organizations, especially in terms of delivering assistance through border crossings, amid the suffering of thousands in camps across Chad.
UN Issues Warning
Two days ago, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said that escalating fighting in various parts of Sudan is forcing civilians to flee their homes in search of safety.
Citing the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he said that in West Kordofan State, increasing insecurity has displaced nearly 47,000 people from the towns of Al-Khuwei and An-Nuhud this month, according to the German Press Agency (DPA).
Dujarric added that many of those displaced had already been internally displaced before, and are now being forced to move again.
In North Darfur State, about 1,000 people were displaced from Abu Shouk camp and the city of El Fasher just last week, bringing the total number of displaced from those areas this month to 6,000 people. North Darfur now hosts an estimated 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Rising food prices are worsening the crisis.
The UN spokesperson also voiced concern over the increasing number of cholera cases in parts of Khartoum State.
He stated: “Although humanitarian workers are doing their utmost to assist those in need, we reiterate the urgent need for greater access and flexible funding.” He noted that only $552 million of the $4.2 billion required for this year’s humanitarian response plan has been received so far.
WHO Weighs In
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that it had documented 167 attacks on health facilities across Sudan since the war broke out nearly two years ago.
The organization reported that the attacks have resulted in 1,121 deaths and 333 injuries.
It added that 734 of the fatalities occurred in just the past 40 days, indicating a “worrying increase in deaths caused by attacks on health facilities in Sudan.”
