In recent years, the crisis in Darfur has led to an influx of refugees who have fled to eastern Chad. More than 780,000 Sudanese and Chadians have converged on 32 entry points in the region, with Chad being the most heavily impacted country by this crisis. According to reports, 45.7% of all Sudanese refugees and new arrivals every week reside in various formal and informal camps located across several health districts in Ennedi East, Ouaddaï, Sila, and Wadi-Fira provinces.
However, despite efforts from various organizations such as MSF-F, PUI, ICRC, a UN emergency team supported by the WHO to treat injured individuals in these camps, access to essential health services remains disrupted due to challenges in physical access and limited availability of human and material resources. Some common health issues among these refugees include malaria, acute respiratory infections, malnutrition, watery diarrhea as well as outbreaks of dengue fever, measles, chickenpox and hepatitis E.
Recent reports suggest that new fighting may result in additional refugees arriving at entry points such as Tiné and Birak in the province of Wadi Fira. The impending rainy season is also a significant concern due to torrential rains that can lead to temporary watercourses making movement difficult for aid workers. This situation will hinder the WHO’s ability to respond quickly to public health events that may arise during this time. In preparation for this eventuality, pre-positioning of health kits including cholera kits will occur before the onset of the rainy season to ensure that aid workers are equipped with everything they need to respond effectively during this time.
