Another 600 people have recently arrived at Al-Hol camp following an upsurge in violence between different armed groups. The camp population now stands at 73,225.
A total of 249 deaths have been recorded. Most fatalities were due to infected wounds, severe burns and acute diarrhoea.
Medical triage services in the reception area have been expanded and are working smoothly. However, there remains an acute shortage of health care services in this area. This is a major concern since many new arrivals are in critical need of health care.
Eight mobile medical teams, one static medical point and two mobile clinics are providing health care services in the camp. However, the foreign annex has no static or mobile medical teams. There is an urgent need to establish a static medical point in the annex for the purpose of providing sustainable health care services in the annex. This still requires the approval of the camp administration.
Critically ill patients are being referred to the WHO-supported Al-Hikma and Al-Hayat private hospitals in Al-Hasakeh governorate, but both hospitals have limited capacity and are currently unable to admit new patients.
The WHO-supported deworming campaign has been completed. A total of 17,700 children between 6 and 15 years of age received deworming pills during the WHO-supported campaign in the camp.
Disease surveillance and health care teams are following up all patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB), watery diarrhoea and other critical illnesses.
The nutritional stabilization unit in the camp admitted 243 new patients in March 2019. The mortality rate was 4.4% and the mean weight gain of discharged infants was 472 grams.