*At least 40 deaths so far from outbreak in Tawila camp*
*Over half a million displaced people living in the area*
*One tells Avaaz many are sleeping in the open and weak from malnutrition*
WED 30 JUL – One of the largest areas of displacement in Darfur is facing an “alarming” outbreak of cholera, aid groups have warned, with fears cases will continue to rise as the rainy season sets in.
As of Tuesday, the number of cases recorded in the region around the town of Tawila stood at 2,145, with more than 100 new cases being recorded each day, according to local officials.
At least 40 people are known to have died, although the Sudanese American Physicians Association, which is operating in the area, said a significant number of deaths were not being recorded.
Tawila sits around 50km west of Zamzam, formerly the largest displacement camp in Sudan, and the city of El Fasher, currently under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The town has received an estimated 379,000 people since Zamzam was attacked and razed by the RSF in April, an influx that brought the total number of displaced people in the area to an estimated 560,000.
Cholera was identified around 20km south of Tawila in early June and has since spread to numerous camps in the area.
A regional aid coordinator said Tawila was “witnessing an alarming increase in daily cases, posing a threat to the lives of displaced people in camps”.
“Tawila is a safe area where a large number of people have sought refuge due to the war in Sudan, particularly the violence in El Fasher and its camps, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee,” he said.
“Any delay in addressing the situation will increase the death toll in this famine-stricken area.”
He said the outbreak had been caused by a lack of clean water, sanitation, and basic medical care as well as the onset of the rainy season, which in Sudan runs from around June until September.
Heavy rainfall, and any flooding caused, can aid the spread of cholera by increasing the risk that water supplies will be contaminated with sewage and other waste.
Bed demand could reach five times current capacity, says MSF
The displaced population in Tawila is hosted across 20 sites. Eleven are in and around the town and nine are in the surrounding area. Four of those in the town have been created in recent months and now have a combined population of 213,000.
Samir, a former teacher displaced to El Fasher with his family, told Avaaz the situation was “catastrophic” and that the cholera outbreak was being exacerbated by widespread hunger.
“People are dying because they are too weak to survive,” he said. “Their immune systems are compromised from severe malnutrition. People are starving in the displacement camps.
“People are also sleeping in the open, without tents or any protection from the rain. And we’ve only just entered the rainy season. It’s going to get much worse.”
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is operating two cholera treatment facilities in Tawila with a combined total of 146 beds and is overseeing almost the entire medical response to the outbreak.
In a statement on Sunday, it said both facilities were already over capacity and that, according to projections, demand for beds could reach 800 by the time the outbreak peaks.
It added that Tawila had not seen an outbreak of cholera in many years and that the local population had not been vaccinated against the disease.
“Without a collective scale up in the response, there is every reason to believe that the situation will worsen,” it said.
Around 400,000 people in Tawila are in need of assistance to access water, sanitation, and hygiene, according to a report published last week by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
It said humanitarian interventions in Tawila remained “operationally feasible”, despite the security risks that have hampered aid efforts elsewhere in Darfur, but that there was a need for improved access.
Interventions already carried out include the installation of over 500 toilets, the trucking in of water, and the testing of water sources for safety.
Situation in El Fasher ‘unbearable’
In El Fasher itself, the humanitarian situation remains horrific, with malnutrition widespread and very little food entering the city.
On Sunday, North Darfur regional governor Alhafiz Bakhit said the situation had become “unbearable” and made a direct appeal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), to redouble efforts to lift the siege.
Bakhit said millet, a local staple, now costs 500,000 Sudanese pounds ($830) for a quarter-sack and was in any case largely unavailable.
The regional aid coordinator said people were having to subsist on animal feed, but that many cannot afford even that, and that the city had reached a “state of complete collapse”.
On Monday, the UN, citing local sources, said there were four hunger-related deaths in the city’s Abu Shouk displacement camp last week.
Food security in much of Sudan is expected to ”significantly deteriorate” between now and September, according to an assessment published last month by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), with particular concern raised about North Darfur.
Voices From The Ground
Interviews available on request. Names have been changed due to safety concerns.
Samir, a teacher displaced from El Fasher to Tawila with his family, told Avaaz:
“The situation is catastrophic. Most of the patients are displaced people who fled from El Fasher. Dozens have already died due to this outbreak. MSF has set up a clinic and isolation centers, but some people die on the way there.
“People are dying because they are too weak to survive. Their immune systems are compromised from severe malnutrition—people are starving in the displacement camps. There is no access to clean water or sanitation. The result? Outbreaks of cholera and other diseases. People are also sleeping in the open, without tents or any protection from the rain. And we’ve only just entered the rainy season—it’s going to get much worse.
“Families can’t afford to buy food. Organizations like Solidarités and NRC are providing direct cash assistance, but it’s far from sufficient to meet the growing needs. Local groups like Malam Darfur are distributing bread and millet grains, but that too is not enough.
“Right now, food is the top priority. After that, we urgently need proper and sufficient medical care and adequate shelter if we are to survive in Tawila.”
The weekly dispatch features the latest developments, first-hand testimony, footage, photos, stats and analysis on Sudan. We can connect you with voices from the ground, experts and survivors of the war. I am available at +44 7935 296 004 / sudan@avaaz.org
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