A cholera epidemic in eastern Chad has now claimed 75 lives and spread to a second province.
The outbreak, which began in mid-July, is directly affecting thousands of refugees and host communities already struggling with a major humanitarian crisis.
On August 27, the Provincial Response Committee confirmed that the cholera epidemic, first identified on July 13 at the Dougui refugee camp in Ouaddai province, has now reached the neighboring Sila province near the Sudanese border.
According to a UN report from August 25, the scale of the crisis is rapidly increasing. As of August 20, UNICEF had recorded 821 suspected cases and 56 deaths across 23 health zones. The fatality rate was estimated at 6.8%.
This resurgence is primarily due to the dire living conditions in refugee camps and communities, where a lack of clean water and sanitation facilities makes it easy for the disease to spread. Since the start of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023, the region has taken in more than 876,000 Sudanese refugees and 313,000 Chadian returnees.
In an effort to combat the epidemic, the United Arab Emirates donated 30 tons of medical supplies to the Chadian government on August 23. This shipment will help support the fight against the disease, which has so far affected 776 people.
The Chadian Ministry of Health has appointed a response coordinator and plans to launch a vaccination campaign from September 2-8 in five health districts. Humanitarian partners, including UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), are supporting a broad response that includes improving access to water and sanitation.
At the same time, humanitarian organizations are warning of a worsening food crisis. The World Food Programme (WFP) aims to assist 2.2 million people this year as rising prices and poverty continue to increase the vulnerability of both refugees and host communities.
CA/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA