Aid workers in Darfur are struggling to cope with a rapid rise in the number of people fleeing villages amidst increasing instability, British medical agency Merlin said today.
Merlin was forced to evacuate its base in Gereida - the region's largest camp for displaced people - three weeks ago when an armed group attempted to take over the town. An emergency medical unit has since been re-established in the camp and is treating 400 people a day.
Over the past month, clashes around Gereida have put more than 100,000 people at risk. Merlin's medical staff estimate that more than 60 per cent of patients seen are war widows and their children, many of whom have suffered severe burns, deep cuts and fractures. Pneumonia, malaria and diarrhoea are the most serious medical problems faced by people in the camp, with many cases exacerbated by malnutrition.
"By the time we see the children in the clinic, they are often in advanced stages of pneumonia or malaria or both," said a Merlin doctor working Gereida. "Babies are often brought in when they are beginning to convulse from high fever and are breathing poorly. Patients like these should be in a hospital with constant oxygen and intravenous medication. In the camp clinic, we are able to provide emergency treatment that is suited to the environment. Most deaths occur because the infection is just too advanced for treatment.
"The population is under constant stress because of the extreme heat, lack of food and hard physical work required in their daily tasks. People cannot go far from the camp during the daytime because they risk being attacked, and movement is not possible at night. Some do venture out to get food, water and firewood, but it is dangerous, especially for young women and girls."
Carolyn Miller, Merlin Chief Executive, said: "Our 20-strong team in Gereida are on constant alert. The conflict flared up three weeks ago very suddenly and without warning. The team was airlifted to safety by UN helicopters along with staff from several other aid agencies. Although we have since been able to re-start the emergency clinic, we are concerned that the situation in Gereida will deteriorate further.
"We are monitoring the situation very closely. While taking all precautions to protect our workers, we are acutely aware that the region is a powder keg and that the lives of more than 100,000 people hang in the balance."
At around the same time as the incident in Gereida, thousands of people were forced out of the Muhajariya area in South Darfur, where several settlements have reportedly been destroyed. Up to 30,000 people are now dispersed across a 20km zone, and are in desperate need of water, food, shelter and medical aid. Together with other NGOs operating in the region, Merlin is attempting to respond to these needs.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
