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Tunisia Expects Rapid Spread of Coronavirus

An elderly man wearing a facemask due to the COVID-19 pandemic walks with a crutch at the central market in the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP
An elderly man wearing a facemask due to the COVID-19 pandemic walks with a crutch at the central market in the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP
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Tunisia Expects Rapid Spread of Coronavirus

An elderly man wearing a facemask due to the COVID-19 pandemic walks with a crutch at the central market in the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP
An elderly man wearing a facemask due to the COVID-19 pandemic walks with a crutch at the central market in the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP

A hospital professor of immunology at the Pasteur Institute expected the COVID-19 disease to reach dangerous phases in Tunisia starting January.

On a television program called “Nessma El Youm” Thursday, Dr. Samar Samoud announced that the virus is rapidly spreading in closed spaces.

The Tunisian doctor said social distancing and wearing facemasks are highly recommended, in addition to increasing ventilation at homes and closed spaces.

Samoud advised Tunisians to reduce their visits to restaurants and cafes and to respect the safety measures of the Tunisian Health Ministry, which banned all events including celebrations for the New Year and extended its night curfew until Jan. 15 to help combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The government imposed the night curfew in October and banned travel between regions in the country.

On Friday, Tunisia said it had recorded 1,752 new coronavirus cases and a total of 126,742 infections, including 4,324 deaths.

Pulmonologist Habib Ghedira told the country’s news agency TAP that at this phase, Tunisia might refer to the genetic mutations to examine the new strain of the pandemic in case there is a sudden or rapid increase in confirmed cases, or if respiratory problems are recorded among patients in specific geographical areas.

Ghedira said that Tunisian authorities need to be vigilant in case the normal daily rate of infections needing urgent care exceeds the number of such cases in normal days.

The first case of infection with COVID-19 was recorded in Tunisia on March 2, while the first death of a person infected with this virus was announced on March 19.

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Estimates of Hunger, Disease Claiming 990 Lives in Sudan’s Darfur

Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
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Estimates of Hunger, Disease Claiming 990 Lives in Sudan’s Darfur

Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)

Over 50,000 people fled by foot from intense fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese city of El Fashir, North Darfur. They walked more than 60 kilometers to Tawila town in scorching temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Some died from hunger and thirst, as reported by local media.

Displaced individuals in Tawila and other Darfur towns endure dire conditions, with 991 deaths recorded between April 15 and May 15 due to famine and disease outbreaks, according to Adam Rijal, spokesperson for Darfur’s Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees.

“The displaced in Tawila are starving, with children crying from hunger,” Rijal told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The little milk they receive isn’t enough for their small stomachs,” he added, underscoring Tawila’s critical lack of basic essentials.

Eyewitnesses described dire conditions faced by refugees fleeing war on their long journey to Tawila, where scorching temperatures worsened their plight.

Asylum seekers in Tawila affirm that the displacement journeys are unsafe, with vulnerable refugees at risk of being robbed by armed gangs. Those reaching Tawila considered themselves lucky to have avoided such attacks.

Sudanese human rights activist Adam Idris told Asharq Al-Awsat that indiscriminate shelling in El Fashir claimed hundreds of lives, forcing many to flee to Tawila and areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement.

Idris noted that some displaced persons died en route due to hunger and thirst, urging humanitarian organizations to swiftly provide aid in the town.

In a related development, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday that over 402,000 Sudanese refugees are now registered in Egypt, with more expected in the coming months.

In a statement, UNHCR noted that over 38,000 Sudanese refugees arrived in Egypt in May alone. Libya and Uganda have recently joined the Regional Refugee Response Plan, along with the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

UNHCR emphasized that only 19% of the needed funds for refugee assistance have been received so far, insufficient to meet the urgent needs of displaced people.

In Libya, more than 20,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived since April, with many settling in the eastern regions.

Uganda, hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa, has received over 39,000 Sudanese refugees since the conflict began, including 27,000 this year. This number is nearly three times higher than anticipated.

After 14 months of conflict, thousands continue to flee Sudan due to violence, violations, death, disrupted services, and limited humanitarian aid access, with the threat of famine looming.