The United Nations’ envoy returning from a neighboring town in the Central African Republic said about 9,700 people had fled Sudan as a result of the ongoing social unrest in the North African country.
This medium reports the majority of the returnees from the war-ravaged Sudan were Central Africans.
Some of the returnees have been integrated with local families as others have found a home at temporary camps in the town of Am Dafok.
“We are currently discussing with the minister who will decide on behalf of the government where this population will be settled,” said Mohamed Ag Ayoya, the UN’s top humanitarian official in the country.
It was gathered that climate conditions in Am Dafok town are not favourable as the rainy season started this month and the town might be troubled by incessant flooding.
There are growing concerns among officials of the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding the prevalence of various diseases and malnutrition which consequently might cause the refugees to fall sick.
“We are already starting to take care of the sick, at least in relation to this. We are trying to see if we can provide mosquito nets so that people can at least protect themselves against malaria,” Gervais Tengomo, an emergencies officer with the WHO said.
“We are also intensifying surveillance to be able to quickly detect a possible epidemic and to be able to control it as quickly as possible,” he added.
Central African Republic has over the years battling with internal crisis. According to the UN, more than half of its entire population needs external support and protection.
The Central African country has been struggling to overcome its own civil war for several years which has caused a serious developmental setback.
CAR is listed as one of the ten poorest countries in the world.
The UN report revealed that about 120,000 need food assistance.
