Diarrhoea cases in Bambasi camp, Ethiopia

Diarrhoea cases are reported at Bambasi Refugee Camp in western Ethiopia, amid concerns of a deteriorating health situation.

Diarrhoea cases are reported at Bambasi Refugee Camp in western Ethiopia, amid concerns of a deteriorating health situation.

The camp shelters more than 13,000 Sudanese refugees who came from Blue Nile State since the outbreak of conflict in 2011 between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.   

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday several community leaders complained of the spread of diarrhoea especially among the children who are under five years old.

Blue Nile refugees also complained about lack of blankets and sheets as well as utensils in the camp amid bitterly cold weather.

“Sheets were only distributed to some 50 refugees out of 14,000 refugees since last year, though blankets and sheets are available in the stores,” an omda who preferred anonymity explained.

He said the Administration for Refugee Affairs (ARA) promised every day to bring the requested items but those promises went unfulfilled.

They blamed the ARA for their suffering and accused it of blocking the distribution of sheets and blankets to the refugees.

Community leaders called on the humanitarian organizations operating in the camp to provide them what they urgently need.