How conflict in Congo, Sudan and Yemen is fueling disease
Armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Yemen are significantly exacerbating disease outbreaks like Ebola and cholera. Overcrowded displacement camps and a lack of basic hygiene infrastructure make it difficult for health workers to contain these viruses, leading to high mortality rates.
Why it matters
The intersection of war and public health crises creates humanitarian disasters that are difficult to manage and often lead to preventable mass casualties.
Whether fast-spreading cholera in Sudan and Yemen or the Ebola virus in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), outbreaks of disease tend to be especially deadly when they take hold amid armed conflict.
https://p.dw.com/p/5H8dn Masks and helmets: This health worker and the M23 rebels in Goma are fighting very different enemies Advertisement D'zirava Lety sums up the hopelessness of her situation in just a few words: "There is no water. In the entire camp, there is only one tap. Another challenge is the lack of toilets. Children relieve themselves anywhere. With the disease that has arrived, we are being told to wash our hands, but there are no hygiene kits. And when we go into town to sell our products, people push us away, saying that we are carrying diseases."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in