The Denan Project, the only humanitarian organization in the town, was founded to provide qualified medical care to the people of Danan.

Alberto Sbacchi concludes from these conflicting reports that while "the occurrence of illness and death is difficult to determine, but we can assume that many suffered and died.

Poor facilities, including latrines, the humid climate, malaria, stomach infections, and venereal disease took many lives, especially among those compelled to work on the irrigation canal or on the banana and sugar-cane plantation.

"[4] In January 2009, the foreign relations chief of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, Mohammed Sirad, was killed by the Ethiopian Army at Danan where he was meeting with other ONLF members.

[5] Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2018 projection, Danan has an estimated total population of 87,380, of whom 49,703 are men and 37,677 are women.