Heavy rainfall in
parts of Darfur is threatening to cut off much of the area from aid
supplies. Within the next two weeks, the rains are likely to spread
throughout the whole region, hampering aid distribution and worsening
conditions in the refugee camps.
The
rains are normally welcomed, but for the thousands of refugees whose
only shelter is straw matting, this year's rains will bring only
misery. The downpours have destroyed many makeshift shelters, while
several camps are under risk of flooding. The thousands of people who
are currently sheltering in dry riverbeds will soon have to move again.
Grim Health Situation
The
health risks facing the refugee population are enormous: clean drinking
water is scarce, latrines are few and far between, and the camps are
cramped. In some areas, the number of children dying is up to three
times the international threshold for a humanitarian emergency.
Without
adequate sanitation facilities, the rains wash excrement across the
camps, increasing the spread of diseases. Diarrhoea currently causes
one-third of refugee camp deaths.
Fears
of a malaria epidemic are also increasing. The rains provide breeding
sites for mosquitoes, while the crammed conditions of the camps and
lack of adequate housing have increased the exposure of the refugee
population to mosquito bites.
Desperate Need
The
refugees are in desperate need of aid, especially plastic sheeting to
provide protection from the rain, adequate sanitation facilities to
curb the spread of disease, and provision of clean drinking water.
Please donate generously.