KALADAN NEWS

Dated: June 15, 2005


Flue, Diarrhea Epidemic in Burmese Refugee Camp

 

Teknaf, June 15: Viral fever, diarrhea and some other water born diseases have broken out in an epidemic form in the Burmese Rohingya refugee camp of Teknaf since last couple of weeks that killed many refugee children, said Maulvi Ayub, an Imam of a Mosque of the camp.

 

Due to lack of health facilities at unofficial refugee camp of Dumdumia of Cox’s Bazaar district, patients of viral fever, diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid and other forms of viral or betrayal infections separately increased but non of the patients get treatment and get admission in any health center, he further said.

 

 There were 14 children separately died at makeshift camp, while many others including elderly refugees are suffering of the flue accompanied by diarrhea disease. All of them are between 5 months to 5 years who fall in various vulnerable outbreak categories of flue and diarrhea disease mainly caused from unusual fluctuations of day tempressure and excessive moisture in the air and scarcity of safe drinking water.

 

“Availability of safe drinking water falls scanty against the demand during the hot days forcing people to depend on contaminated water and get infected by the germs of different diseases mainly travel by water,” said a health officer of Teknaf Upazila (sub-district) preferring anonymity.

 

Local people from nearby makeshift reported that “We find regular dead body in the camp that may bring cholera in the region. If so, we would leave the area. So, we feel that taking healthcare is very important to save the area from dangerous diseases.”

 

The children who died in Makeshift camp were identified as Razu Begum, daughter of Sayed Hussain, Taslima Akter, daughter of Mohammad Yunus, Mohammada son of Mohammad Younus, sayed Noor, son of Mohammad Siddique, Mohammad Amin, son of Mohammad Rafique, Abu Taher, son of Hamid Hussain, Rehena Begum, daughter of Abdu Shukkur, Shamsu Alam son of Amir Hussain, Ismatara, daughter of Dolu Hussain, Sayed Alam, son of Sayed Akber, Mohammad Ayub, Mohammad Jamil and Akram, son of Mohammad Taher and Ruzina, daughter of Abul Bashar. The above mentioned all the dead children are between 5 months to 5 years, said Deen Mohammed, a Maji of the camp. # #

 

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