Hundreds of IDPs in Tanintharyi Twsp suffer from seasonal flu, malaria and diarrhoea

By Admin 08 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
8 June 2023, Tanintharyi

Out of more than 8,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Tanintharyi Township, about 500 are reportedly suffering from seasonal flu, malaria and diarrhoea.

There are about 100 displacement camps in Tanintharyi Township, with the outbreaks of illness taking place in several of the camps since the end of last month.

“Hundreds of IDPs have been infected with seasonal flu and malaria since the end of May. IDPs live in the jungles and because of the heavy rains, they get flu and malaria as well as flu-related diarrheal disease,” said an official from Spring Myitta IDP health assistance team.

Seasonal flu, malaria and diarrhoea outbreaks are reported in nine displacement camps in Tanintharyi Township and children and the elderly are the most infected.

The diseases are caused by unclean drinking water and mosquito bites, and there is an urgent need for medicines for medical treatment, according to aid workers.

It is difficult for aid workers to transport medicine into Tanintharyi Township as the junta has barred delivery of medicines and food supplies to the area since April, said a health worker from Southern Heart Medical Team.

“We are having difficulty accessing medicine and we don’t have enough medicine. We would like to request donor organisations to help us,” he said.

DMG attempted to contact Tanintharyi Region Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Thet Soe to seek comment on the junta’s ban on delivery of medicine and foodstuff to Tanintharyi Township, but he could not be reached.

Fighting between the military and local anti-regime forces has been ongoing in Tanintharyi Township since April.