An "alarming" measles outbreak was reported by the United Nations on Saturday at Somali refugee camps in Ethiopia, in the latest blow for those fleeing drought and famine.
The UN Refugee Agency said it "fears the outbreak could lead to high mortality and serious illness in an already vulnerable refugee population whose overall health was already fragile."
Health workers on Thursday reported 25 deaths in the Kobe camp, half of which were suspected to be from measles, the UN said.
It was a jump from less than a handful of such deaths in the entire previous week, leading health officials to believe they were facing an "alarming" outbreak.
Ethiopia hosts a total of 237,500 refugees, mainly from Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, according to the latest figures.
More than 800,000 Somalis have fled their country in recent years, due to war and drought.
Source: www.sacbee.com
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