Situation in Darfur and Chad remains critical, warns Oxfam

DESPITE international attention and visits by foreign dignitaries the humanitarian situation in Darfur and eastern Chad remains critical, international aid agency Oxfam warned yesterday.

The onset of the rainy season has contributed to the deterioration of public health, with high rates of malnutrition, bloody diarrhoea, and waterborne diseases such as hepatitis E reported throughout Darfur. The threat of cholera or malaria epidemics is a critical concern, as displaced people continue to arrive at already overcrowded sites with limited water and sanitation facilities.

“The scale of this disaster is immense,” explains Caroline Nursey, Oxfam’s Regional Director, just back from Darfur. “People are still arriving daily at camps throughout Darfur and Chad, straining an already overstretched infrastructure.”