LATEST NEWS/DEVELOPMENTS
– There are estimated 22,000 people left at Km18.- Two days ago, MSF did an NFI distribution for 4000 households (approx. 22,000 people) at Km 18.- There is thought to be approximately one week of water remaining at Km 18.
– Refugees are being relocated gradually from Km18 to Batil camp – Batil now hosts 15,300 refugees.
– In Batil, MSF is setting up a Primary Health Care Centre, inc. ITFC and ATFC. Severe medical cases are transferred to MSF field hospital in Doro camp.
BACKGROUND
– Around 35,000 refugees crossed the border from Blue Nile State over a three-week period.
– Existing refugee camps are overcrowded and already struggling to provide enough water for the 70,000 refugees in the area.
– The new arrivals initially gathered at a temporary site (Rum/Hofra/KM43), but the water ran out.
– An estimated 8000 refugees were moved by ACTED/UNHCR to a site known as ‘Km18’ – the nearest location with available water. The 22,000 refugees remaining at Rum walked en masse the 25km to ‘K18’.
– In the last week, ACTED has gradually started moving refugees from ‘K18’ to a new camp, called Yusuf Batil. The move has taken place at a pace of 1500-2500 refugees per day.
– There are now approximately 22,000 refugees at K18, where access to food, water and shelter is wholly inadequate. This move is taking place too slowly to ensure that all refugees are relocated by the time water in K18 runs out – which is estimated to be around 25 June.
– Batil camp is intended for 20,000 refugees, but services there need to be scaled up rapidly in order to meet this intended level.
– Further along the border, refugees have been crossing from South Kordofan into Yida refugee camp, recently increasing in numbers and in an increasingly weak state. Yida camp is becoming less and less able to provide adequate basic essentials for the 50,000+ refugees.
MSF ACTIVITIES
– MSF has been providing aid to refugees in Upper Nile State since November 2011.
– MSF is running two field hospitals in Jamam and Doro camps.
– MSF is also running a mobile clinic and ATFC at K18. Seriously ill patients are referred to the hospital in Jamam.
– MSF carried out a measles vaccination campaign at K18.
– In Batil, MSF is setting up a Primary Health Care Centre, inc. ITFC and ATFC. Severe medical cases are transferred to the MSF field hospital in Doro camp.
– Monday 18 June: NFI distribution to 4000 households at K18 (estimated 22,000 people): one blanket, 1 jerrycan, plastic sheeting, soap, HEB (high energy biscuits).
– MSF the only organization providing water for refugees at K18 (180m3/day – 6L/person/day), supporting provision of water to Jamam by treating water through Jetting 1 (60m3/day), also supporting water production at Doro (216 m³/day) and providing water in Batil (90m3 per day).
DATA
“km18” (temporary transit site):
No. of consultations: Doubled to 1324 consultations in last week.
Measles vaccination: 9628 people vaccinated in first 4 days.
MUAC screening: 3.14% SAM, 14.47% GAM, combined data from first 3 days of MUAC
Of the 537 consultations in week 23 (4-10 June), 292 for diarrhoea, 40 for RTIs, 69 for malnutrition).
Latest data: week 24 shows number of consultations has doubled: 1324 consultations (608 for diarrhoea, 180 for RTIs and 137 for malnutrition).
Main morbidities: By far the most important pathology is diarrhoea, bloody and non-bloody. AWD is 47.6% of the total amount of consultations. Other main pathologies are malnutrition, RTI and eye infections.
Jamam (severe cases from “km18” referred here):
Average weekly OPD consultations: 1546
Main morbidities: Non bloody Diarrhoea 27% (decreased lately, was 40% 3 weeks ago), Respiratory tract infection 19%, eye infection 10%
Nutrition: Increase admissions to ATFC from weeks 20 to 23: 90% increase (from 50 to 95). Currently 567 children followed in ambulatory treatment, and around 20 new admissions per week in hospitali.ation for therapeutic feeding.
Batil (new camp growing fast to accommodate refugees from “km18”):
Average weekly consultations: 1260.
Main morbidities: Non bloody Diarrhoea 25%, intestinal parasitosis 13%, general aches and pain 20%
Nutrition: Goal did a survey 2 weeks ago and reached 3.6% SAM for children Malnutrition problem is increasing
Measles Vaccination: 2733 children so far, vaccinated during registration and we will do a catch up campaign after relocation process.
Doro (severe cases from Batil referred here):
Average weekly OPD consultations: 1453.
Main morbidities: Non bloody Diarrhea 26%, Respiratory tract infection 25%, eye infection 12%
Nutrition: Increase admissions to ATFC from weeks 20 to 23: 54% increase (from 55 to 85). Currently 404 children followed in ambulatory treatment, and around 8-9 new admission per week in hospitalisation for therapeutic feeding.
Chiara Burzio, nurse, Jamam refugee camp field hospital:
“We have to focus our energies on the most critical cases and we have to make those choices. But that’s hard, particularly when you know how desperate everybody’s situation is.”
“You see a lot of things here that are difficult to digest. When you’re driving in, you begin to see people scattered about, but then suddenly you’re confronted with a sea of people, most sitting down, sheltering under bits of plastic. I’ve never seen anything like it. Most are dehydrated; many have diarrhoea. Everybody looks ill and exhausted. Many have just arrived after walking for 30km or more on foot. You offer people a cup of water, and to see how fast they are drinking; how eager they are for water — that is a heavy thing to see.“
WHAT IS MSF CALLING FOR?
– Immediate provision of sufficient quantities of treated water, particularly in Jamam and Batil camps and at K18;
– Relocation of refugees from K18 to a suitable location where they have access to clean water, food and shelter;
– Scale up of services in Batil camp in order to meet the needs of relocated refugees;
– Urgently needed work on the roads providing access to the refugee camps as the rainy season will otherwise make access impossible; and
– Concrete plans backed up with appropriate resources for when more refugees arrive.
