Displaced camps "full to bursting"

The biggest camp of displaced at Salina, Debarwa, had a new population of 56,000 on Tuesday with new arrivals continuing, WFP spokesperson Lindsey Davis told IRIN. She said there was concern that camps were mushrooming rapidly and "full to bursting". People were still arriving in the three main camps at Hariena, near Debarwa, south of Asmara, the nearby camp of
Salina, and at Debat, north of Keren. Some 8,000 people arrived in Hariena camp on Monday, bringing the total number there to 48,000, and 51,000, mainly from the Barentu region, are at Debat.

Humanitarian sources told IRIN that overcrowding was a serious problem at all the camps, which were filled to capacity. At Hariena, some 15,000-20,000 people have been provided with tents - with up to three families sharing each tent - while the remainder are sleeping in school buildings or receiving plastic sheeting from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF and UNDP. Medical agencies were concerned
about deteriorating health conditions. Children are playing in a muddy river, where people were also washing clothes and watering cattle.

Although there are no serious outbreaks of disease so far, there are growing numbers of cases of respiratory infections and diarrhoea. If rains come, as expected, in the next two weeks when thousands remain without shelter "you will have a much bigger risk of infection" Davies said.