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Tchad: 68 People Die Due to Cholera in Sudanese Refugee Camps
The Ministry of Health in Chad announced that 68 people have died from a cholera epidemic that has been spreading across the eastern part of the country, since the first case appeared in the Dungi refugee camp for Sudanese refugees in late July.
Tajeddin Muhammad Al-Ammar, the Director of Media at the Ministry, told AFP that as of Tuesday, the number of cholera cases reached 1,016, including those who recovered and those transferred to hospitals, while some had died.
Al-Ammar added that the death toll had reached 68 and pointed out that the epidemic causes severe diarrhea resulting from contaminated water or food. It can be treated through rehydration of the infected, but can lead to death within hours if immediate medical intervention is not provided.
The United Nations explained in a statement that the rapid spread of cholera is due to the large influx of Sudanese refugees into Chadian areas, especially in camps and towns in eastern Chad, where refugees live without adequate health supplies or access to clean drinking water, amid ongoing ongoing violent conflict in Sudan that began in April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The Wadi region in eastern Chad is among the most affected areas, hosting about half a million refugees who fled the ongoing war in Sudan, which is considered one of the largest humanitarian crises in the region.
Chadian authorities announced the onset of the cholera outbreak in late July, after recording four deaths and 42 suspected cases in the Sudanese refugee camp. Sudan is one of the most affected African countries by the epidemic, with over 2,400 deaths recorded since 2023 across 17 of its 18 states, according to UNICEF.
Since the beginning of the year, several other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, have experienced widespread cholera outbreaks, reflecting the extensive spread of the epidemic in the region.
