Border News Agency
Ponnakyun, May 12
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) say that healthcare services are urgently needed at the railway station IDP camp and the agricultural field IDP camp near Ganan Taung village in Ponnakyun Township, which is under the control of the Arakan Army.
They said that, in addition to diarrhea, cases of hepatitis are also occurring in those camps, highlighting the urgent need for proper healthcare services.
“We can’t even afford to go to the clinic. I want to give rehydration salts to the sick children, but we’re in such a difficult situation that we can’t even afford a single packet of ORS that costs just 2,000 kyats. If possible, we would like to receive medical assistance,” said Daw San Aye Yin, a female IDP, speaking to Border News Agency.
Although annual rainfall in the Arakan region exceeds over 100 inches each year, locals say they continue to face water shortages annually, and the situation has become even more severe this year.
Due to the worsening water scarcity, IDPs say they are forced to consume unclean water and eat unhygienic food daily, leading to a continuous outbreak of diarrhea in the displacement camps.
Camp officials stated that the illness began spreading in the last week of April and that the number of affected individuals continues to rise to this day.
“The number of people falling ill is increasing. The weather is also hotter than before. The water we drink isn’t clean, and because of the shortage, we can’t even drink enough. Previously, only one or two people were sick. But just within this month, the number has significantly increased,” said U Maung Ni Thar, the person in charge of the railway station IDP camp, speaking to Border News Agency.
Camp officials said that a total of eight people three men and three women have been affected by diarrhea at the railway station IDP camp and the agricultural field IDP camp near Ganan Taung village.
In addition, a total of ten people, including young children, teenagers, and the elderly, are also suffering from hepatitis, according to the officials.
Since the outbreak of these illnesses, no organization has provided medical support so far. Due to financial difficulties, displaced people have been relying on natural remedies such as the bark of the Pongame oiltree, rice water, roots of the Htikaron plant, and other local herbs for treatment, they said.
Displaced people suffering from diarrhea and hepatitis said they are worried that their health conditions may worsen, as they cannot afford medical treatment and have not yet received any proper healthcare support.
The railway station IDP camp has 270 displaced households, with 637 men and 725 women, making a total population of 1,362 people.
In addition, the agricultural field IDP camp has 250 displaced households, with 529 men and 621 women, making a total population of 1,150 people, according to the displaced people.
The displaced people are facing challenges such as limited job opportunities and difficulties with food access, and they are calling for international assistance, they said.
