from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – A SPREADING cholera outbreak has killed no less than 16 people in eastern Chad over the past week.
The water borne disease has infected at least 288 people across three health districts.
A majority of cases have been reported in several refugee camps in the Ouaddaï province.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is responding by delivering emergency health services in affected camps, working alongside government partners to contain the outbreak and support vulnerable communities.
Alain Rusuku, Country Director for the IRC in Chad, said the agency was seeing families who had already fled violence now facing the threat of a deadly disease with little protection.
“It’s heartbreaking to witness how quickly cholera is spreading in overcrowded camps where clean water and sanitation are scarce.”
Chad is enduring conflict, mostly perpetrated by Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria.
This growing health crisis is unfolding at a time when Chad’s health system is already under extreme pressure.
The country is also facing a massive influx of refugees—over 1 million people, including more than 875 000 who have fled the conflict in Sudan over the past two years.
Severe flooding, limited funding and a lack of medical staff, equipment and infrastructure are worsening the situation.
Poor sanitation, unsafe water and the rainy season are creating the perfect conditions for cholera and other waterborne diseases to spread quickly.
– CAJ News