SUDAN: UNITED NATIONS DECLARES AN OUTBREAK OF MENINGITIS IN SUDAN'S TROUBLED NORTH DARFUR STATE

Record ID: 338292

  • Title: SUDAN: UNITED NATIONS DECLARES AN OUTBREAK OF MENINGITIS IN SUDAN'S TROUBLED NORTH DARFUR STATE
  • Date: 24th March 2005
  • Summary: (W2) DARFUR, SUDAN (FILE - JULY 11, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. LV HUTS FOR SUDANESE REFUGEES DISPLACED BY FIGHTING IN DARFUR 0.06 2. PAN REFUGEE CHILDREN LIVING AMONGST THE HUTS 0.17 3. SLV OF SUDANESE REFUGEES IN FRONT OF HUTS (3 SHOTS) 0.38 (W2) KHARTOUM, SUDAN (MARCH 23, 2005) (REUTERS) 4. MCU (English) UNITED NATIONS SPOKESWOMAN RADHIA ACHOURI SAYING: "In northern Darfur, a meningitis outbreak has been declared in the states after agencies confirmed four cases in Saraf Omra 3 of them during the same week" 0.50 (W2) DARFUR, SUDAN (RECENT ) (UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP) POOL) 5. LV REFUGEES MOVING AID OFF A TRUCK 0.53 6. SLV/SV AID WORKER MOVING AID OFF A TRUCK (2 SHOTS) 1.02 7. CU SACK OF SORGHUM READING 'GIFT FROM GERMANY WFP'/ USA AID SACK 1.08 8. SLV MORE OF REFUGEES TAKING THE AID SACKS AWAY (2 SHOTS) 1.23 (W2) KHARTOUM, SUDAN (MARCH 23, 2005) (REUTERS) 9. SV JOURNALISTS AT WFP NEWS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 1.27 10. MCU (English) UNITED NATIONS SPOKESWOMAN RADHIA ACHOURI SPEAKING ABOUT TOP UN OFFICIAL IN SUDAN, JAN PRONK, SAYING "He strongly condemns attacks on international NGOs and and humanitarian workers which ultimately victims of the people to be helped. He is deeply concerned that there is ground now to assume that foreigners are being directly targetted. The United Nations is taking precautionary measures to face the situation and has declared, among other measures, that this road where the incident has happened is a no-go area for the United Nations movement until further notice." 2.06 11. MCU WOMEN LOOKING ON 2.08 12. SV JOURNALISTS 2.10 (W2) DARFUR, SUDAN (RECENT ) (UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP) POOL) 13. LV BAOBAB TREE IN REFUGEE CAMP 2.14 14. SLV/CU VARIOUS OF REFUGEES IN THE CAMP (4 SHOTS) 2.38 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KHARTOUM AND DARFUR, SUDAN
  • Country: Sudan
  • Reuters ID: LVA5Y49FS9URCVGAE1OO7WISF8UU
  • Story Text: United Nations declares an outbreak of meningitis in
    Sudan's troubled North Darfur state.




    The United Nations said on Tuesday (March 23, 2005) that
    there had been a worrying outbreak of meningitis in Sudan's
    troubled North Darfur state.

    U.N. spokeswoman Radhia Achouri told reporters in
    Khartoum that there were 27 suspected cases of meningitis
    and 2 deaths.

    She said four cases of bacterial meningitis had been
    identified in Saraf Omra camp for those who have fled
    fighting in Darfur. Three were in the same week.

    "Meningitis outbreak has been declared in the states
    after agencies confirmed 4 cases in Saraf Omra 3 of them
    during the same week," Achouri said.

    She added that a total of 5 laboratories had confirmed
    cases of meningitis in camps of Saraf Omra, in the Northern
    Darfur, since January 11 this year.

    Sudan's health minister warned last week he expected an
    epidemic of meningitis in Sudan and said the government had
    stockpiled vaccines to deal with it. Meningitis is an infection of
    the fluid in the spinal cord and fluid that surrounds the brain. Bacterial meningitis is the more severe form that can result in brain
    damage and even death.

    In crowded camps for refugees, diseases like meningitis
    can spread uncontrollably.

    Achouri also said cases of dysentery were being
    reported in South Darfur camps surrounding the state
    capital Nyala. Aid agencies have begun a hygiene campaign
    to stop the spread of bloody diarrhoea.

    Almost 2 million people have fled the fighting during a
    two-year-old rebellion in Darfur to makeshift camps where
    thousands die every month from malnutrition or disease.

    One of the world's largest humanitarian operations is
    in progress in the region the size of France, but continued
    violence has hindered aid efforts.

    Achouri read a statement by the top U.N. official in
    Sudan, Jan Pronk, condemning the latest violence directed
    at aid workers in Darfur.

    A USAID official was shot in the face on Tuesday (March
    23) when a clearly marked aid convoy was ambushed by armed
    gunmen. The unnamed worker is stable in hospital.

    Achouri said that top UN official in Sudan Jan Pronk
    deplored the attacks and that he was deeply concerned.

    "He is deeply concerned that there is a ground to
    assume that foreigners are being directly attacked. The
    United Nations is taking precarious measures to face the
    situation and has declared the road between Nyala and Kass
    crossed for U.N movement until further notice," said
    Achouri.

    The African Union has about 2,000 troops on the ground
    in Darfur with a mandate to monitor a shaky ceasefire
    agreed last April and limited power to protect those
    displaced in the camps. Pronk says this is not enough.

    He added there were no warning shots fired at the
    convoy as had been the case previously in Darfur.

    The United Nations recently evacuated 44 U.N. and aid
    agency staff from parts of West Darfur after militia
    threats to target foreigners. Achouri said all roads bar
    one were reopen to U.N. travel in the west and staff had
    returned to work, but that the threat was still being
    assessed.

    France is to put to a vote on Thursday a U.N.

    resolution referring Sudanese war crimes cases to the
    International Criminal Court, daring Washington to cast an
    embarrassing veto or accept a tribunal it opposes.

    After weeks of haggling on a comprehensive resolution
    on Sudan, the U.N. Security Council has been deadlocked on
    where to try perpetrators of atrocities in the country's
    western region of Darfur.

    On Wednesday, France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Marc de la
    Sabliere, introduced a draft resolution that would refer
    Darfur cases to the ICC, the world's first permanent
    criminal court, as recommended by a U.N. panel of experts
    in January.

    But the United States offered to create a new
    U.N.-African Union tribunal in Tanzania that has drawn
    little support, with several council members arguing that
    only the ICC already has investigators on staff ready to
    begin work.


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