Disease afflicts Kabkabiya children in North Darfur

The displaced living in the Kabkabiya camps in North Darfur complain about the outbreak of an unknown disease among children. The symptoms are high fever, swelling of the body, and ulcers

The displaced living in the Kabkabiya camps in North Darfur complain about the outbreak of a hitherto unknown disease among children.

“The disease that broke out a month ago affects children up to 18 years old,” the assistant coordinator of North Darfur camps told Radio Dabanga. “The symptoms are high fever, swelling of the body, and ulcers.”

The spread of the disease caused panic among the more than 90,000 families living in the camps, “in particular because the medicine given to the patients does not help”.

He called on the North Darfur Health Ministry to “act, diagnose the disease, and offer treatment”.

In mid September, the coordinator of the camps in neighbouring Saraf Umra locality informed Radio Dabanga about the outbreak of an as yet unidentified disease causing swelling of the body and abdomen accompanied by fever, vomiting and coughing.

He said the disease appeared in the first week of September, with the accumulation of water and the spread of mosquitoes after heavy rains.