( CNN ) -- As many as 10,000 albinos are in hiding in east Africa over fears that they will be dismembered and their body parts sold to witchdoctors , the Red Cross said in a recent report . The killings of albinos in Burundi and Tanzania , who are targeted because their body parts are believed to have special powers , have sparked fears among the population in the two countries , the report said . Body parts of albinos are sought in some regions of Africa because they are believed to bring wealth and good luck . Attackers chop off limbs and pluck out organs to sell to dealers , who in turn sell them to witchdoctors . Scores of albinos have fled to Tanzanian schools for the disabled or in emergency shelters set up by police in Burundi to avoid attacks , according to the report . `` Thousands more albinos across a huge swathe of countryside ... are unable to move freely to trade , study or cultivate fields for fear of albino hunters , '' the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said . Tanzanian government officials have said they are mobilizing police to help the embattled population , but admit it is hard to quell the attacks . Most happen in rural areas , where there is not enough police presence , according to Lucca Haule , assistant commissioner of police . `` We do n't have the resources in those places ... it is not easy , but we are trying to map out locations where albinos live so that we can better protect them , '' he told CNN earlier this month . In early November , a court sentenced four people to death in northern Tanzania for killing an albino man and selling his body parts . So far , seven people have been sentenced to death for the killing of more than 50 Tanzanian albinos , including children , in the past two years , Haule said . Dozens more are awaiting trial . Albinism is a genetic condition that leads to little or no pigment in the eyes , skin and hair . African albinos are discriminated against and face segregation most of their lives . They also battle a high risk of skin cancer . The aid agency said it is helping albinos find indoor employment by teaching them skin care tips , including using protective hats and long-sleeved shirts . `` Even before the killings began two years ago , albino people in tropical Africa suffered an array of afflictions that made physical survival a desperate struggle , '' said Salif Keita , a Malian albino singer and human rights activist . The Red Cross societies in both countries said they need support to respond to the humanitarian crisis . Since 2007 , at least 44 Tanzanian albinos have been killed and 14 in Burundi . Some organizations have put the number at more than 50 in Tanzania .
About 10,000 albinos in hiding in east Africa over fears they will be dismembered . Albinos have been killed in Burundi and Tanzania because their body parts are believed to have special powers . Comment: