A small health clinic opened on June 11th in a primary school some distance away. It is staffed by two health assistants from the Ministry of Health and has basic medications and examination materials. The main health concern is the high rate of diarrhea, especially among children. Firewood presents no problem for the moment, but the future impact could be environmentally disastrous. The coming rainy season will bring flooding and physical danger to the people located in this area as well as dramatically increasing the risk of malaria and water-borne diseases.
Many people are still in hiding in caves and river beds.
Many have congregated in temporary camps. Some towns have more than doubled their population while others are deserted depending on their position in relation to recent fighting. A great burden is being placed on communities who are hosting large numbers of IDPs. Local resources are being strained beyond capacity, even in larger urban areas such as Keren and Asmara. Other towns have been completely destroyed due to fighting, looting and destruction of property and these places will need support in terms of food, shelter, and construction materials when it is possible for people to move back.