Cases of diarrhoea on rise in post-cyclone Arakan State

By Admin 12 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
12 June 2023, Sittwe

Cases of diarrhoea are on the rise in Arakan State townships such as Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung and Maungdaw.

More than 100 residents in Kyeinkhwaymaw, Paikseik and Minbar villages of Pauktaw Township are suffering from diarrhoea as wells and reservoirs were contaminated by the storm tide and debris when Cyclone Mocha hit the state on May 14.

Three elderly people in Kyeinkhwaymaw Village died from diarrhoea last month after the storm hit Arakan State. More than 30 residents are currently suffering from diarrhoea in the village, which is home to more than 380 households, said U Than Htay, the administrator of the village-tract.

“Cases of diarrhoea are reported among children and elderly people in the village-tract,” he added.

Many children in Kainggyi, Shwebaho and Thihoaye villages in storm-ravaged Maungdaw Township are also suffering from diarrhoea due to unclean drinking water.

More than 20 residents in Kainggyi Village, which has more than 140 houses and a population of more than 700 people, are suffering from dysentery due to the unclean drinking water and are receiving medical treatment, according to village administrator U Dokekha.

“People in our village use water from a reservoir. Now that the rainy season has arrived, the rainwater and water from the reservoir have mixed and the water is not clean, so the locals are suffering from diarrhoea and skin diseases. There are some locals who saw doctors. Some newborns are at risk of dying,” he added.

At least 20 residents of Htonebu Village in Ponnagyun Township are suffering from diarrhoea and are in need of healthcare services, locals said.

“Cases of diarrhoea are reported among locals, especially children in the village. There is no clinic in the village, so locals rely on pharmacies in the village,” said U Maung Hla Thein, a local man from Htonebu Village.

According to a May 21 report from the United Nations Office on the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, destruction of public infrastructure as well as disruptions to water systems continue to limit access to clean drinking water in Arakan State, resulting in increased risk of waterborne diseases.