MMN Dec 25 Mag - Online - Flipbook - Page 22
The healthcare system in many refugee se琀琀lements is over-stretched
and underfunded. Families o昀琀en
walk 2-3 hours to a clinic only to
昀椀nd poor diagnos琀椀c ability, no
in-pa琀椀ent facili琀椀es and li琀琀le medicine. For example, in the isolated
Rhino 8 camp, where the team are
working from October to December 2025; there had only been
access to basic healthcare with no
equipment and li琀琀le medicine for
two days a week for over 1,900
new refugees before we stepped
in. Medical outreaches result in pa琀椀ents not having to travel so far to
receive the healthcare they need,
and they will be be琀琀er able to start
building new lives and communi琀椀es to sustain themselves.
The work of CRESS is as important
now as when Caroline set out on
the journey 16 years ago. The drama琀椀c removal of foreign aid, especially the reduc琀椀on of $83 billion
dollars worldwide of US aid has
brought new challenges to both
refugees and the host popula琀椀on.
Recently, we caught up with the
whole CRESS Africa team at a conference with the theme “Rooted in
Purpose, United in Impact, Re昀氀ecting, Renewing and Rising Together”.
We asked the team to tell us of the
new problems brought about by
the reduc琀椀on of aid to the camps.
They informed us of the following:
• The camps of Imvepi, Bidibidi,
Rhino, and areas of Mijale are signi昀椀cantly a昀昀ected by the reduc琀椀on
in overseas aid.
• The host communi琀椀es in these
areas are also a昀昀ected, adding to
the pressure on land and other
resources.
• Food shortage puts families
under increased stress, with family
tensions and children being forced
to work to provide some income.
They are therefore less likely to
a琀琀end school, and some schools
are closing.
• There is increased pressure on
the limited resource of land, which
makes it more of a challenge to
promote the sustainable farming
prac琀椀ces that CRESS is encouraging, and even modest rents for land
cannot be paid.
• Medical help is reduced due to
lower incomes.
• Crime, even commi琀琀ed by children, increases as people struggle
to survive.
• Suicide levels are increasing causing greater need for the
