Abdel Hafiz Mohammed Adam, a medical worker at a local clinic in Adré camp in eastern Chad, said Sudanese refugees in the camp face a dire health situation.
He told Radio Tamazuj that facilities in the camp are severely under-resourced, raising concerns of an imminent humanitarian disaster if there is no urgent international support.
“There is a severe shortage of health facilities, with only eight health centers serving over 10,000 refugees in Adré camp. Six of these are operated by Médecins Sans Frontières.,” Hafiz stated. “The available centers provide only 5 percent of the required medical services and lack laboratories for disease diagnosis and relying primarily on patients’ medical histories.”
He also pointed out that the language barrier between French-speaking doctors and Arabic-speaking refugees is a significant challenge, hindering communication and delaying treatment. Consequently, treatment is often limited to basic medications like paracetamol, ibuprofen, and antibiotics to avoid the risk of incorrect prescriptions.
“Malnutrition is increasingly prevalent among children, the elderly, and nursing mothers, exacerbated by a lack of food and clean water,” Hafiz said. “We fear the heightened risk of infectious diseases due to unsanitary conditions as the rainy season approaches.”
He called on international organizations to expeditiously assess the health situation in the camp and provide immediate support to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.