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                        Emergency Response Grows in Chad

   by Joe DeCapua

   Emergency water supplies are being rushed to southeastern Chad where
   about 50-thousand people have fled fighting in Sudan's Darfur region.
   Several Arab tribes have been battling for control of mining operations
   there.
   The refugees and migrants have been gathering around the village of
   Tissi since January. Felix Leger is the country director for the
   International Rescue Committee.
   "The situation is still of concern, mainly from a humanitarian
   perspective because, as you know, the influx of displaced people
   continues. The last data we got from Tissi area shows that you have
   more than 27,000 refugees from Sudan, but you also have some Chadians
   that returned from Sudan. The number is a bit above 19,000. You also
   have some refugees from CAR," HE SAID.
   Before the influx, Tissi was a village with a single borehole for
   water. Leger says it was barely enough for the residents and quickly
   became inadequate for the growing population. The International Rescue
   Committee is now bringing water supplies in by truck from nearby Lake
   Tissi.
   Leger said, "Our intention is to pump the water from the lake - to
   treat it - and then to deliver through a water system in order to
   provide clean water to the refugees and the displaced."
   The refugees and migrants are already using the lake for drinking
   water. The problem is the lake is also being used for bathing and a
   watering hole for their animals. To make matters worse, the IRC says
   there are only 10 latrines in the area and people are defecating near
   the lake. Simply put, it's not safe to drink without being treated
   first and there's the potential for disease.
   "Some now are queuing a long time, many hours, in front of the existing
   network in Tissi. Some have tried to find traditional wells quite far
   from their place of relocation. So, definitely one of the needs right
   now is to increase the capacity to provide potable water," he said.
   He said getting water to Tissi is a race against time because the rainy
   season is expected to begin in two weeks or less. When it does, the
   roads will become too muddy for the trucks. The IRC is bringing the
   necessary materials from other parts of Chad so a functioning clean
   water system can be in place when the rains come.
   Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has set-up medical
   facilities in Tissi. Last month, it reported an outbreak of measles in
   the nearby area of Saraf Bourgou. The disease has killed a number of
   young children.
   The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, is helping to provide shelter. Trees
   have provided minimal shelter for many families, leaving them exposed
   to the sun, wind and cold temperatures at night.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/chad-darfur-21may13/1665293.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/chad-darfur-21may13/1665293.html