Disease

Cholera Among Refugees in Tanzania

At least 27 people have died in an outbreak of cholera at a Burundian refugee camp in Tanzania, humanitarian workers said Thursday.

An estimated 50,000 refugees from Burundi live at a camp in the village of Kagunga, where cholera is suspected of sickening another 15 people, UNICEF said. The World Health Organization says up to 90,000 people live at the camp in the village.

More than 112,000 have fled Burundi in recent weeks during an attempted military overthrow of the government. Many are living in camps along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where conditions are poor.

Between 500 and 2,000 people arrive each day, overwhelming the health system infrastructure where there is already limited camping space, poor hygiene, and inadequate sanitation and drinking water.

WHO says non-cholera-related cases of diarrhea have climbed to more than 1,000.