Malnutrition stalks children in post-cyclone Arakan State

By Admin 25 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
25 July 2023, Sittwe

Some children in storm-affected parts of Arakan State are suffering from health problems linked to malnutrition.

With insufficient food supplies following the storm, children are suffering from illnesses including influenza, persistent cough and diarrhoea as a result of malnutrition.

Daw Thein Mya, a member of the displacement camp committee, said that about 50 percent of children under the age of 8 in the Thetkelpyin camp for Muslim internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sittwe Township are suffering from malnutrition.

“Both mothers and children do not receive enough food, they are malnourished and their bodies are thin, without growth. The children have no immunity and are prone to various diseases,” she explained.

Daw Thein Mya added that some of the sick children are receiving medical treatment at nearby hospitals, while others have had to buy and use over-the-counter medicines due to financial difficulties.

Some children at the Nyaungchaung IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township are also sick, with malnutrition being blamed.

“The children are not the same, the changes are obvious and their immunity is lowered,” said Daw Ma Saw Yaine, an IDP woman from the displacement camp. “Parents had to leave their children at home when they went out to find fish and vegetables. When children do not eat, their health is affected.”

In addition to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers are also suffering from malnutrition.

“Mothers who do not have enough nutrition during pregnancy suffer a lot during childbirth. In this displacement camp, there are even three people with congenital disabilities,” said Daw Aye Khin, an IDP woman from Taungminkalar displacement camp in Kyauktaw Township.

A report by UNOCHA Myanmar released on June 15 said a total of 398 children under the age of 5 in eight townships affected by the storm in Arakan State were receiving medical treatment due to malnutrition.