Hundreds of thousands face disease in overcrowded camps in White Nile state

More than 140,000 people, mostly South Sudanese women and children fleeing from Khartoum, have newly arrived in White Nile state since conflict broke out in Sudan. They are now facing huge unmet needs ......

A view of Ajwal refugee camp in White Nile state, where thousands of people fleeing conflict in Khartoum have sought refuge. Sudan, 7 July 2023 (© Ahmad Mahmoud/MSF)

 

In June, our teams started supporting three Ministry of Health clinics in providing general healthcare in Um Sangour and Al Alagaya refugee camps, as well as in Khor Ajwal, which hosts Sudanese people displaced from Blue Nile state. 

More recently, we have started supporting the inpatient therapeutic feeding centre at the hospital in Al Kashafa refugee camp, where there are about 50 severely acute malnourished children admitted, some of whom have been referred from other refugee camps. 

Um Sangour, a camp meant to host about 30,000 people, now houses over 70,000. The needs are huge and growing in the overcrowded camps. “The most common illnesses impacting the community here, especially children under the age of five, are suspected measles, pneumonia, and malnutrition,” says Ali.

“The death toll was already high when we arrived. We received an average of 15 to 20 suspected measles cases daily, with six recorded deaths in the first week. 

“Tragically, most of these were children under the age of five. We partnered with the Ministry of Health, who provided us with resources to set up an isolation centre to provide these children with the necessary care,” says Ali.