International medical NGO, Médecins Sans Frontière (MSF) has confirmed that 13 children have died following an outbreak of measles at internal displacement camps in war-torn Sudan.
According to the Sudanese arm of MSF, about 223 children have so far been hospitalized and treated for the disease between June 6 to 27, with 72 children still on admission at two clinics it supports.
In a series of tweets on Monday, the Sudanese branch of MSF said that “suspected measles and poor nutrition are the key health problems that children face in the camps as the situation has already become critical.”
“MSF has set up two treatment centres, adding new beds and staff. Every day, we are receiving sick children with suspected measles, most of whom develop complications,” the NGO tweeted.
“We are receiving sick children with suspected measles every day, most with complications,” MSF Sudan tweeted.
The NGO added that it had received a total of 3,145 patients to the two clinics in the month of June.
“As more people arrive, there’s an urgent need to increase assistance, scale up services like vaccinations, nutritional support, shelter, water & sanitation.
“The rainy season is approaching, and we’re concerned about a rise in waterborne diseases and malaria endemic to the area,”
the international humanitarian organization warned.
Doctors Without Borders said Sunday that there was a suspected outbreak of measles in an internally displaced persons camp in Sudan.
They said 13 children died recently in the suspected outbreak at the camp in Sudan’s White Nile state.
“We are receiving sick children with suspected measles every day, most with complications,” the organization posted in a tweet.
It added that there was an urgent need to “increase assistance, scale up services like vaccinations, nutritional support, shelter, water and sanitation.”