In recent months, more than 750,000 Sudanese and Chadians have fled Darfur and converged on the 32 entry points in eastern Chad. The country is most affected by the crisis in Sudan, with over 44.8% of refugees arriving from that country alone.
These refugees live in a variety of formal and informal camps across 11 health districts in the provinces of Ennedi East, Ouaddaï, Sila, and Wadi Fira. However, access to essential health services in these camps is severely limited due to physical access issues, limited human and material resources, and the inability to pay for healthcare.
To make matters worse, epidemics of dengue fever, measles, and hepatitis E are spreading rapidly among the refugees. A total of 6,692 people have been injured and treated with the support of MSF-F, PUI, ICRC, and an international emergency team deployed by the WHO.
With the rainy season approaching in less than three months’ time, this already dire situation will only become more challenging due to torrential rains that are making it difficult to move temporary waterways. This means that access to certain sites may be cut off entirely during this period. The WHO is already concerned about this development as it will no longer have access to certain sites to provide a coordinated health response to any potential public health emergencies that may arise during this time.