Crisis Appeal launched for Darfur region by Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) 8:16pm 23rd May, 2007   28 May 2007    Sudan: Rains bring risk of malaria and cholera outbreaks in Darfur and Chad.    Health needs in Darfur and Chad are greater than ever after four years of conflict and could escalate further if the impending rains lead to cholera and malaria outbreaks, aid agencies warned today.    During last year"s rainy season there was a 130% increase in the number of malaria cases at health facilities in South Darfurrun by one of the DEC agencies, Merlin. More than 7,500 malaria patients in total were treated at eight clinics from June to October.    In the same period last year, more than 2,000 cholera cases were recorded across North, South and West Darfur, according to the World Health Organisation, as an outbreak of the disease spread rapidly from Khartoum in April to Darfur and other regions during the rainy season.    With aid agencies already battling to construct and maintain clean water supply lines, the downpours expected within the next four weeks could lead to further contamination of water sources. The result – pools of stagnant water which provide ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes and increase the risks of fatal diseases.    It is vital that aid agencies act now to pre-position stocks of medicines and other medical equipment to prepare for the epidemics that the rains can bring. Merlin is already distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets to pregnant women and mothers with young children to help prevent malaria.    The rains also mean that older people in need of medical care at home are harder to reach. A recent survey by Help the Aged in five camps in west Darfur found that around two-thirds of older people faced problems getting around and many were unable to leave their homes. Help the Aged is providing vital care to these older people through a network of home visitors and a medical referral system operated by donkey carts.    "After four years of conflict, the health needs in Darfur and Chadare greater than ever," said Linda Edwards, Merlin"s Country Director in Darfur. "More than two million people are displaced and living in desperate conditions, with little access to health care. DEC agencies urgently need more funds to provide medical aid to even more vulnerable people and to save more lives."    24 May 2007 (BBC News)    Leading British aid agencies, including Oxfam and World Vision, have launched an emergency appeal to save lives in Sudan"s Darfur region and neighbouring countries.    The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) says 4.5m people are affected by the conflict in the region while looming rain threatens to bring further misery.    DEC head Brendan Gormley said: "We are seeing one of the greatest concentrations of human suffering right now in Darfur and Chad".    Some 200,000 people have died in Darfur since a rebellion began in 2003. Pro-government Arab militias have been accused of widespread atrocities, such as mass killings, rape and looting black African villages. Suda"s army is accused of backing Arab militias in Darfur.    The DEC, which represents 13 aid agencies, says the start of the rainy season brings the risk of conditions such as diarrhoea and malaria which threaten children, pregnant women and the elderly in particular.    It says malnutrition levels are already rising in some areas and "vital help" is needed to respond to a rapidly-growing crisis.    The DEC said aid agencies also needed to bolster life-saving food and medicine stocks before the rains hit at any time in the next four weeks.    The money raised by the appeal, will help provide shelter, clean water, sanitation and emergency food. It will also help medical teams to provide emergency care and buy items such as water buckets and blankets.    Mr Gormley said:    "We have been keeping people alive but access is already severely hampered by conflict and the rains will make it much harder for us to respond if we don"t act now.    He said the fact the charities had come together to appeal showed the "severity of the situation".    "Charities are working tirelessly in the region. With your help, they can literally save thousands more lives. We need to act urgently - please do give generously."    The DEC said violence in the region was escalating and many villages were "burnt out shells". The conflict has left two-thirds of the population in Darfur dependent on aid, it said. The violence has spilled over the border into Chad, which has a similar ethnic make-up to Darfur, and the Central African Republic.    *The DEC is an umbrella organisation representing 13 leading UK aid agencies. Its members are: ActionAid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfu Visit the related web page
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