At Least 40 Congolese Killed by Cholera Outbreak
At least 40 people have died of cholera in Ugandan refugee camps in recent months and a further 2,000 have been infected, Reuters reports.
Aid workers blamed the outbreak on poor sanitation in the camps, to which nearly 70,000 people have fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this year, trying to escape the escalating violence.
The DRC is also suffering from a cholera outbreak, which killed more than 1,000 people last year.
Syria’s Idlib Province Is World’s ‘Biggest Refugee Camp’
The United Nations humanitarian adviser for Syria, Jan Egeland, called Syria’s Idlib province “the biggest refugee camp on Earth.”
The province in northwestern Syria is the largest rebel-held stronghold and home to 2.2 million people. Many fled there from regime attacks or following evacuation deals. Egeland said around 1.5 million people – two-thirds of the population – are displaced in Idlib.
Analysts fear a regime assault in Idlib would prompt a massive displacement crisis as well as widespread civilian casualties. “Idlib cannot become a battle zone; it is full of civilians and they are vulnerable, displaced,” Egeland said, calling conditions for humanitarian workers there “horrific.”
Aid Workers Charged With Theft in Uganda
Two aid workers with the Danish Refugee Council have been charged with theft in Uganda. They were arrested after removing food relief intended for refugees in the Kyaka camp, the Guardian reported.
The Danish Refugee Council director in Uganda, Jean-Christophe Saint-Esteben, said he was “very disappointed” and pledged a review of the charity’s procedures.
The Ugandan authorities and the U.N. are investigating broader allegations of corruption in the nation’s large refugee aid operation, as well as verifying the number of refugees in the country.
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