Kampala — ANOTHER Congolese refugee has died of cholera that recently hit Nakivale refugee camp in Isingiro district.

A source from the camp, who did not want to be named, said on Tuesday that the victim died on Sunday.

He said the situation was alarming, adding that new cases were reported in Kabahunda.

The Isingiro district health officer, Dr. William Nyehangane, said 14 cases had been reported between Saturday and Wednesday, bringing the total to 66. Out of these, 64 are refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last week, cholera killed two Congolese.

The refugees are fleeing clashes between Laurent Nkunda's rebels and government forces.

Isolation camps have been established and are manned by medical workers from the Red Cross, GTZ a German NGO, the World Health Organisation, Medicine San Frontiers, the office of the Prime Minister, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children in Uganda.

The south-western refugee desk officer, Walter Omondi, said the camp was faced with inadequate safe water, continued land encroachment, lack of secondary schools, congestion in primary schools and rapid deforestation.

It was also reported that there were no ambulances to transport victims to Mbarara Hospital.

Simon Mutachuka, a camp commandant, said about 10,000 DRC refugees had been brought to the camp and more were expected.

This brings the total number of refugees in the camp to 42,000 from DRC, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Liberia.

The affected reception centres are Kabahinda, Zulu, Kibale and Kabazaana.

In a meeting on Friday, UNHCR reported that the movement of refugees from Ishasha to Nakivale was temporarily suspended.

Last week, Mbarara Red Cross officials said they were sensitising the people about proper hygiene.