Three persons have died following an infectious disease outbreak at a temporary detention center in Gelan sub-region of Sheger city of Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 19, EHRC reported a grave situation at the temporary detention center ‘Sida Awash’ when the center faced a louse-borne relapsing fever outbreak, leading 190 people to be taken to the hospital. Several individuals were in critical condition, and three lost their lives, the report said.

Over the past few days, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the detention center in Gelan sub-city. Opposition activists and civil society members assert that individuals are being detained based on their ethnic backgrounds in connection with the conflict in the Amhara region in the detention center.

The Command Post overseeing the state of emergency has stated that only five detention facilities have been established thus far, which are found in Kombolcha, Gondar, Bahir Dar, Shewa Robit, and Awash Arba. However, the State of Emergency Inquiry Board, responsible for monitoring the treatment of detainees, has reported the presence of detainees in Addis Ababa as well. The EHRC visited the center and confirmed that the individuals in detention were homeless people. It further mentioned that the count of children and elderly individuals in this detention center has fluctuated over time, and currently stands in the hundreds.

The center’s officials assured the EHRC that a rehabilitation program would be implemented to assist some of the detainees in returning to their homes.