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Kenya: Refugee Camps Hit By Malaria
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The Nation (Nairobi)
24 April 2008
Posted to the web 24 April 2008
Tom Matoke
Nairobi
An outbreak of malaria, diarrhoea and dysentery has been reported in camps occupied by internal refugees in the North Rift and western Kenya.
Medics attribute the outbreak, which has mainly affected women and children, to heavy rains which had flooded the camps.
According a medical officer with St John Ambulance, Ms Stella Sakina, the outbreak could be worsened by poor standards of hygiene at the camps in Eldoret, Nakuru, Kakamega and parts of Nyanza Province.
Supplied drugs
Ms Sakina appealed to the refugees to seek medication as soon as they fall sick stating that the St John Ambulance had attended to more than 15,000 children who contracted diseases due to poor sanitation.
Ms Sakina, who spoke to the Nation Wednesday, described the situation in refugee camps as inhuman.
She said her organisation had teamed up with Ministry of Health personnel to treat the sick and had supplied drugs and blankets to children exposed to rain.
"The refugee children are leading very miserable lives in camps and malaria and diarrhoea and dysentery had hit almost all camps in the North and western Kenya region and more help is needed."
The medic added that a larger number of young children and women slept in the cold because they lacked blankets.
Poor roads
She said that some had contracted diseases and asked well-wishers to come to the rescue.
The organisation also raised concern that some refugee camps had become inaccessible due to poor roads.
St John Ambulance chief executive Eva Mwai said last month, her organisation could not access a high number of displaced people in affected camps due to heavy rains.
Ms Mwai also appealed for quick settlement of the internal refugees.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila are scheduled to visit the displaced families from Thursday.
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However, MPs from the North Rift have warned against rushing the resettlement.
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