By DPA
New York : Fears of witchcraft have worsened an already chaotic situation at refugee camps in southern Chad, the UNHCR said.
Refugees have stopped getting health treatment, taking water from the camps and have assaulted other refugees out of fear of curses and wary of modern medicine after some bizarre outbreaks of illness earlier this year, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Friday.
The fear began after 11 refugees were all taken ill and died within one week at the Dosseye camp towards the beginning of the year. UN workers in the region say the causes were diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition.
In one case, three children from the same family died within one hour, prompting a group of 15 others to attack a widow who they believed had cursed the children, the UNHCR said.
“People had stopped drinking the well water and started getting their water from the swamps and rivers around the camp. Others were either not going to the health clinic or were going too late,” said Josiane Nguerebaye, a member of the UN relief agency’s community services team.
The UN has held a series of awareness sessions in an attempt to bring refugees back to accepting medical attention and to prevent further assaults.