With the outbreak of suspected measles and other infectious
diseases in three refugee camps in Ethiopia, IOM and its partners
have stepped up medical services to help combat the increasing
health risks faced by the fleeing Somalis.
At the Dolo Ado transit centre, IOM and its health partners,
including UNICEF and the Ethiopian Agency for Refugees and
Returnees Affairs, ARRA, have started a comprehensive campaign to
vaccinate all children against measles from the age of six months
up to 15 years, before relocating them to the camps.
At Melkadida refugee camp, located 35 km from Dollo Ado
transit centre, the organization is carrying out a measles
vaccination campaign for children between six months and 15 years
of age and is also administering polio drops to children under five
years of age. Out of the 30,000 that will be inoculated, IOM
will vaccinate 7,500 children by the end of August.
The IOM medical team is now stationed at the camp and is working alongside UNHCR and the Ethiopian Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs, ARRA. It is playing a key role in the measles vaccination campaign through the identification of measles cases and the distribution of medical supplies and equipment.
IOM has also set up a preventive intervention at Dollo Ado
transit centre, and plans are under-way to start screening those
suspected of being infected with tuberculosis and other contagious
diseases. The transmission of TB and other infectious diseases has
become the biggest issue of concern in the camps.
The three refugee camps at Dollo Ado shelter a population of
118,524, of whom 78,000 are Somalis fleeing drought and
famine.
In Kenya, IOM continues to provide safe and dignified
transport assistance to Somali migrants from Dagahaley on the
outskirts of the Dadaab camps to the newly commissioned Ifo
extension camp.
These are vulnerable displaced Somalis who have travelled on foot for many weeks fleeing from drought and famine in Southern Somalia. When they crossed the border into Kenya they settled outside the main camps for lack of space.
To date, 2,904 displaced Somalis have been assisted to move to
the new accommodation at Ifo. The assistance includes pre-departure
medical check-ups to determine whether passenger is healthy to
travel. IOM aims to relocate some 30,000 Somalis from the
overcrowded Dadaab camps to the Ifo extension camp.
For more information, please contact:
In Kenya: John McCue, IOM Dadaab, Tel: +254722202173. Email: jmccue@iom.int
In Ethiopia: Demissew Buziwork, Tel: +251 11 661 11 71, Email: bdemissew@iom.int
In Geneva: Jean-Philippe Chauzy, Tel: +41 22 717 93
61, Email: jpchauzy@iom.int
or Jemini Pandya, Tel: + 41 22 717 9486/+ 41 79 217 3374,
Email: jpandya@iom.int or Jumbe Omari
Jumbe Tel: + 41 22 717 9405/+ 41 79 812 7734 Email:
jjumbe@iom.int
