Diarrhoea concerns among Kyauktaw IDP children

By Admin 20 Nov 2024

DMG Newsroom
20 November 2024, Kyauktaw

Several children are suffering from diarrhoea at displacement camps in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State, according to an official and internally displaced people (IDPs).

Nearly 20 children under the age of 5 from the Kan Gyi Shin IDP camp and a displacement camp near the railway station in Kyauktaw have diarrhoea, and some children have been hospitalised.

“My child vomited. The child could not bear the impact of the stool and became unconscious. I was able to get him to the hospital in time. If my child was not taken to the hospital in time, he might have died,” said the mother of an IDP child from the Kan Gyi Shin IDP camp.

IDPs say diarrhoea among children is common due to inadequate latrines, unsanitary drinking water and food, and seasonal changes.

In addition to children, diarrhoea is also of particular concern among the elderly IDP population. 

Diarrhoea is typically most acutely felt among children and the elderly, but can occur at any age. Diarrhoea can be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites, and most cases can be traced to consumption of contaminated drinking water.

Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 5, according to the Ministry of Health.

“Diarrhoea is common in children and the elderly. IDPs only use water from nearby lakes for drinking. There are not enough toilets in the displacement camps. There are many IDPs who make a living as manual labourers and cannot afford to visit hospitals,” said a female official from the Kan Gyi Shin IDP camp.

Kan Gyi Shin IDP camp has three latrines but only one is currently usable.

Most of the IDPs at the Kan Gyi Shin camp are people who make a living by working odd jobs, and if they are sick, they often cannot afford to seek medical help at clinics or hospitals. Many also cannot afford over the counter medicines to remedy their illness.

“The hospital fees are too expensive, so I can’t send my child to the hospital. My child is not well at all, but I spent K300,000 for my child to see a doctor. We have no job, no income, and we cannot afford that much money. I had to borrow money from others to take my child to the clinic,” said Daw Nwe Nwe Hsan, an IDP woman.

Kyauktaw Township has more than 26,700 IDPs, including over 2,000 children under the age of 18, according to the Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO) of the United League of Arakan/Arakkha Army (ULA/AA).