By Jar Seng / MPA
It is reported that children and locals who fled from war are suffering from seasonal flu, but don’t have enough medical supplies in Mrauk- U, Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships, Rakhine state.
After the flood caused by heavy rainfalls during July 2024 in Rakhine state, war refugees and locals suffered from seasonal flu.
Daw Khaing Aye, in-charge of Taungmin Kalar IDP camp said that children and elders in their IDP camp are also suffering from skin disease that feels itching and malaria.
“In our IDP camp, 10 children under 10 years old are suffering from boils and body itchingness as well as 2 elderly women are suffering from malaria. There is no clinic or hospital nearby. And, they are financially incapable of going to the clinic as well,” she said.
Currently, war refugees who fled from battles between Arakan Army (AA) and junta’s troops and flood are facing hardships for survival.
Mrauk-U Youth Association announced that starting from mid July, flooding occurred in Rakhine state and there are over 30,000 flood victims in Mrauk-U township alone.
“In our village, one after another, families feel sick. The sickness spread to the whole family. Our family can eat only if we work daily, so we can’t afford to go to the clinic. We just take paracetamol pills and sleep under the blanket. This is our way to feel better,” Ma Aye Kyaw from Tainnyo village, Mrauk-U township said.
Due to the cut-off of all roads that enter Rakhine state by the State Administration Council (SAC), basic goods and medical supply shortages occurred and locals have to pay high prices for goods and medical supplies. Moreover, some goods can’t even be bought.
Again, according to the locals, war refugees and locals are suffering from seasonal flu in Ponnagyun township and most of the patients are war refugees.
“World Food Program (WFP), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and other Non-profit Organizations came and donated before. But now, they all can’t manage to come so there are a lot of hardships for us. We go and collect bamboo shoots on the mountains and sell them back. But the price is low and it is not fine,” a war refugee said.
People are facing hardships till now due to high prices of goods and shortage of medical supplies in Rakhine state.
To solve this issue, AA is importing goods from Bangladesh and India but it still cann’t solve the problems.
