NEWS UPDATE

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working in Darfur since December 2003. Today, nearly 100 international volunteers and 2,000 Sudanese staff provide medical and nutritional care in areas with more than 400,000 displaced people. Medical teams conduct medical consultations and hospitalizations, treat victims of violence, care for severely and moderately malnourished children, and provide water, blanket feedings, and other essential items in Mornay, Zalingei, Nyertiti, Kerenik, El Genina, Garsila, Deleig, Mukjar, Bindisi, and Um Kher in West Darfur State; Kalma Camp near Nyala and Kass in South Darfur State; and Kebkabiya in North Darfur State. MSF also continues to assess areas throughout Darfur. Additional teams provide assistance to Sudanese who have sought refuge in Chad in Adre, Birak, Tine, Iriba and Guereda.

WEST DARFUR STATE: MSF is working in areas where nearly 250,000 displaced people have gathered.

Mornay
The proportion of rape victims treated by MSF has increased - of the 50 patients treated for injuries due to violence over the past month, 24% were victims of rape. Medical teams at MSF's clinic conduct nearly 1,900 consultations each week, an increase over previous weeks. The principal pathologies include respiratory infections and watery diarrhea, and bloody diarrhea. Today 60 patients are hospitalized every week, mainly from severe malnutrition, respiratory infections, malaria, acts of violence, and diarrhea. Nearly 1,200 children have been treated for severe malnutrition in a Therapeutic Feeding Center (TFC) and more than 4,000 children have been treated for moderate malnutrition in a Supplementary Feeding Center (SFC). MSF has conducted 4 blanket-feeding for more than 60,000 people. More than 500,000 liters of potable water are distributed every day. MSF has prepared an isolation unit in case of a cholera or bloody diarrhea outbeaks. There is also a dangerous government plan to forcibly return a very fragile population to their devastated home areas.

Zalingei
Medical teams at two MSF clinics conduct 2,700 consultations each week, with more than half involving children under five years of age. The principal pathologies include severe malnutrition, respiratory infections, and watery and bloody diarrhea, with 50 new hospitalizations each week. MSF has treated 473 severely malnourished children in a TFC and 1,320 moderately malnourished children in an SFC. Family rations have also been distributed at the feeding centers and in a blanket-feeding.

Nyertiti
MSF conducts 1,100 consultations each week in mobile clinics that go to Nyertiti 3-4 times a week. MSF has treated 95 severely malnourished children and 683 moderately malnourished children in an SFC. MSF also distributes food rations to the children's families. MSF is conducting a nutritional survey in the 2 camps where more than 10,000 displaced people have gathered.

El Geneina
MSF is rehabilitating the surgical ward and has started to work in the pediatric ward at El Geneina hospital. MSF treats 85 severely malnourished children in medical tents on the hospital grounds, and is building a new structure for pediatric patients. MSF is conducting a nutritional survey in El Geneina's 11 camps housing 80,000 people. A nurse and several community health workers visit several camps, referring the sickest patients to El Geneina hospital.

Kerenik
MSF mobile clinics go to Kerenik 2 times a week. MSF treats 101 children for severe malnutrition in a TFC, 275 children in an SFC, and distributes food rations to the children's families.

Garsila (and four satellite sites Deleig, Mukjar, Bindisi, and Um Kher)
MSF treats 383 severely malnourished children in TFCs, 976 moderately malnourished children in an SFC, and has distributed food rations to the children's families. Medical teams conduct 1,000 consultations in outreach clinics every week, mainly treating for diarrhea, malaria, and upper respiratory infections. There has been a worrying increase of patients with diarrhea in Deleig. All five sites are still accessible even though the rains have begun. More than 10,000 children have been vaccinated against measles. In Garsila, there are 4,500 residents, 18,000 internally displaced people (IDPs); in Deleig there are 5,000 residents and 17,000 IDPs; in Mukjar there are 11,000 residents and 28,000 IDPs; in Bindisi there are 5,000 residents and 12,000 IDPs; in Um Kher there are 5,000 residents and 13,000 IDPs. MSF treats women who have been victims of sexual violence. Patients tell our medical teams on a daily basis about large levels of violence in the areas where they have gathered, including killings, torture, rapes, abductions, and intimidation.

SOUTH DARFUR STATE: MSF is working in areas where nearly 60,000 displaced people have gathered.

Kalma Camp near Nyala
MSF is treating 147 severely malnourished children in a TFC, 267 children in an SFC, and distributes food rations to the children's families in an area with 25,000 people.

Kass
Today, MSF is treating 319 severely malnourished and 942 moderately malnourished in an area with 40,000 people.

NORTH DARFUR STATE: MSF is working in areas where nearly 130,000 displaced people have gathered.

Kebkabiya
An estimated 85,000 people live in and around Kebkabiya (17,000 residents and 68,000 displaced people.) MSF rehabilitated the 50-bed reference hospital and provides a full range of primary and secondary health care including out-patient and in-patient care, surgery and other services. Medical teams treat measles cases everyday, as well as diarrhea and respiratory infections. MSF also provides water, waste management, and hygiene promotion in the hospital. In addition, MSF supports two out-patient centers in areas where displaced have gathered. In all three structures, medical teams conduct more than 1,200 consultations a week, and the mortality rate is above the emergency threshold.

CHAD: Additional teams provide assistance to Sudanese who have sought refuge in Chad in Adre, Birak, Tine, Iriba and Guereda.

© 2004 Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)