HIGHLIGHTS
Cholera outbreak response
- Cholera outbreak hit the Dadaab Refugee Camps in Mid-November for the second time in the year 2015. As of 31st December, the outbreak has affected over 1,000 people and resulted into the loss of life for ten refugees.
Dadaab has been through the rainy season, this time experiencing El Nino heavy rains during the months of November and December 2015. The first case of the current Cholera outbreak was reported on 18th November from Ifo 2 camp of a ten-year-old boy. Reportedly, the boy was playing in a stagnant pool and may have swallowed some of the water. He has since been treated and recovered.
A Cholera outbreak control team of UNHCR, WASH and Health partner agencies, Ministry of Health and Department of Refugee Affairs (DRA) was formed immediately after the first Cholera case was reported.
Four Cholera treatment centres with more the 200 bed-capacity had been set up to respond to the outbreak. In addition, refugee leaders, WASH and Health committees and community at large have been actively engaged in these efforts and working alongside agencies in mitigating and controlling Cholera.
Promoting hygiene and public awareness campaigns are the main parts of the broader response to mitigate the effects of rains and control further spread of the outbreak in camps. UNHCR and its partner agencies have been carrying out soap distribution, houses and latrine disinfection and hygiene promotion campaign across all the five camps.
UNHCR and its partner agencies continue to educate children, parents and community about the risk of swimming in muddy water ponds in and around the camps, and backfilling of such pools - where it’s possible - has also been carried out. Local FM radio stations have been frequently airing community sensitization messages