The Meheba camp in Zambia is suffering from an exaggerated lack of drinking water. Refugees fear the outbreak of diseases caused by lack of hygiene.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Refugees in the Meheba camp are outraged by the unusual lack of drinking water that has lasted for more than three months. The main cause is the long drought that has hit this country and other parts of southern Africa in recent times.

While the camp was supplied with drinking water by at least four borehole pumps on each street (neighborhood), for the moment, at most, only one remains functional, we learned. The rest are also damaged.

« It’s a shame, we encounter long lines at the wells to the point that we can spend five hours there to get a single 5-liter can! » And if ever a drop of water is drawn, it is dirty. We fear the appearance of diseases from lack of hygiene,” lament Burundian refugees who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi.

“Worse still, on any water well that is still functional, a group of people have arrogated to themselves the right to charge each refugee money to supposedly repair pumps that have broken down,” lament refugees.

Occupants of the Meheba camp are asking the UNHCR to provide them with drinking water as assistance. They are also calling on this UN Agency and the provincial administration where this camp is located to repair the broken down wells.

The Meheba camp currently hosts more than 27,000 refugees, including approximately 3,000 Burundians.

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Burundian refugees at a water distribution point in a camp in the sub-region (SOS Médias Burundi)