“Jehovah loves his land so much that he will give it rain.”
Hepatitis E is spreading in refugee camps in eastern Chad, Doctors Without Borders warns. It is home to more than 550,000 Sudanese who fled the conflict that broke out in neighbouring Sudan a year ago. The spread of hepatitis E is worsening due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water in refugee camps scattered throughout Chad’s Uday Province.
Hepatitis E is a highly contagious viral infection that is mainly transmitted through contaminated water. It poses a serious threat to people living in crowded and unsanitary environments and can be fatal. It causes liver inflammation and is especially dangerous for pregnant women and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Doctors Without Borders teams have seen a surge in hepatitis E cases in Adre, Abenguet, Meche and Al-Acha camps, directly linked to inadequate sanitation facilities and limited access by residents to clean water. To date, as many as 954 cases of hepatitis E have been recorded among refugees, including 11 pregnant women, and four patients have died.
Most of the cases (469) occurred in the Adre camp, where 122,000 people have taken up temporary shelter in an overcapacity camp awaiting transfer to camps where they can settle down. Adre Camp has to accommodate 677 people per bathroom, and Meche Camp has a poor environment that has to accommodate 225 people per bathroom.
“The situation in all camps is dire,” said coordinator Erno. “If measures are not taken to improve sanitation and increase people’s access to clean water, disease and unnecessary loss of life could soar.”
Doctors Without Borders currently supplies more than 70% of the drinking water in the Adre, Abengue, Meche and Alacha camps. Despite this, residents only receive 11 litres of clean water per day, far below the 20 litres per person per day recommended in emergencies.
As the dry season approaches, which typically lasts from April to May, rising temperatures will increase the need for water while reducing the size of available aquifers. Despite the continued efforts of humanitarian organizations and the Chadian government’s support for refugees, the situation is near-catastrophic. People who left everything behind in their hometowns are struggling every day due to a lack of food, water, and temporary shelter, as well as poor sanitary conditions. (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper Comprehensive)
Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. (Joel 2:18,23)
God, may Your grace and mercy be upon Sudanese refugees whose lives are in danger due to poor living conditions in refugee camps in foreign lands after fleeing from civil wars. May You bestow strength and provisions on organizations and the Chadian government that are struggling to provide adequate relief to all refugees. Let the church pray earnestly and spread the gospel to the people living in the Hepatitis E-affected area so that everyone may seek the living Lord with all their heart as human efforts are limited in resolving such dire situations. May they meet God who loves them and has compassion on them, and let their thirst and pain be released in the Lord, so that they may become Your people who are joyful in the Lord.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
