KIGOMA, Tanzania, Jan. 30 (AGCNewsNet) – Malaria is killing at least 16 people every week at Tanzania’s Nyarugusu refugee camp, a situation aid agencies describe as alarming amid overcrowding and limited healthcare access.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement that the outbreak has overwhelmed medical facilities at the camp, home to over 150,000 refugees, mostly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Malaria remains the leading cause of illness and death at Nyarugusu. We are seeing an average of over 2,000 cases per week, with fatalities continuing to rise," said UNHCR spokesperson Roland Schilling.

Refugees and aid workers say poor sanitation, stagnant water, and a shortage of mosquito nets have exacerbated the crisis, with the rainy season further worsening conditions.

“We sleep under worn-out mosquito nets, and there are not enough medicines at the clinic,” said Furaha Ndayisenga, a Burundian refugee who has lived at Nyarugusu for five years.

Tanzania hosts one of the largest refugee populations in East Africa, but funding shortages have made it difficult for agencies to provide adequate health services.

UNHCR has called for urgent international support to contain the outbreak, warning that without swift action, the death toll could climb further.

Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, with the World Health Organization estimating that the continent accounts for 95% of global malaria deaths.

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