Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Arakan are suffering from skin diseases (scabies) and are struggling to access medical treatment. They also face difficulties in obtaining necessary medicines, according to IDPs and those assisting them.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) across all areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) are experiencing skin diseases, particularly scabies. According to IDPs, the condition is more prevalent among children.
“A lot of scabies rashes are spreading. It’s even worse among children. The sores cover the whole body, and the infection spreads quickly,” an IDP from Pauk Taw Township told Border News Agency.
Among those affected, a large number of IDPs in Thandwe and Gwa townships are also suffering from scabies. According to aid workers assisting the displaced, more than half of the total IDP population in these areas is experiencing the condition.
“We have been continuously buying and providing medicine, but now the outbreak is spreading so much that we can’t keep up. At the same time, we also have to supply rice and food. Our support depends on the donations we receive,” an aid worker from Thandwe Township told Border News Agency.
As part of Operation 1027, launched by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which includes the Arakan Army (AA), AA forces attacked and captured the Myanmar junta’s Done Pike border guard outpost along the Maungdaw-Ahngumaw road in Arakan on November 13, 2023.
Since that day, the Myanmar junta has blocked roads and waterways across the Arakan region and restricted the movement of international humanitarian aid organizations.
As a result, the prices of medicines have skyrocketed, and severe shortages are being reported, including disruptions in healthcare services, according to local residents.
Due to the ongoing medicine shortages, some elderly individuals and children in the Arakan region have reportedly died, according to local residents.
“The situation here is also very bad. There aren’t enough medicines or supplies,” an aid worker from Pauktaw Township told Border News Agency.
The scabies outbreak in IDP camps may be caused by unclean water, lack of proper hygiene, and overcrowding, according to displaced persons.
“Weak immune systems, malnutrition, and vitamin deficiencies, along with poor personal hygiene, allow bacteria and fungi to enter the skin, leading to infections,” a general physician told Border News Agency.
Patients suffering from scabies should wash thoroughly with warm water and soap, and some sores may need to be drained and treated with medication, according to a specialist doctor.
Due to the military situation and the threat of airstrikes and heavy weaponry from the Myanmar junta, over 600,000 people in the Arakan region have been forced to flee their homes.
These displaced persons are struggling with food shortages because they have not received international humanitarian aid, according to local residents.
