Congo Refugees Threatened by Cholera Outbreak

The large refugee camp of Kibati is home to tens of cholera cases, Doctors Without Borders announced recently. Only yesterday (Sunday, November 9), 13 new cases were reported, adding to the 45 already known of. Though the numbers aren't significant in themselves, there are a few factors that could cause the disease to spread throughout the Eastern part of the country.
 

As fights between rebels and governmental soldiers intensify, the UN said that its peacekeeping force, of about 17,000 men, was completely insufficient to guarantee that no civilians would get hurt. Clashes between the two forces occurred very near of the refugee camp on Friday, scaring tens of thousands of people away.
 

Doctors say that, if infected patients flee, they could cause cholera epidemics throughout the region, given the living standards in the area. The conflict makes things worse, seeing how regular international medical teams are no longer available outside refugee camps. The large number of people seeking shelter from the unrest has already stretched resources thin, and national authorities are incapable of supplying the population with basic health care programs.
 

In addition, this Saturday saw a new offensive of government-controlled troops on rebel positions near the regional capital of Goma. Epidemiologists say that more intense fighting causes more unrest amidst refugees, who will do anything to escape the conflict, seeing how both rebels and national soldiers have already killed thousands, in what the UN calls crimes against humanity.
 

The situation in Kibati is worsening by the day, as more people keep coming in, and the numbers of water sources and latrines for so many are negligible. Doctors warn that, unless something is done soon, events could escalate, and the whole Eastern Congo region is at risk of a widespread epidemic. A solution to this would be to keep the fighting away from camps, so that people won't get scared and try to run away.