May 31th, 2022.
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking shelter in Brigade-1 and Brigade-6 territories of the Karen National Union (KNU) are suffering diarrhoea as they have to drink unclean water, according to the volunteers helping the IDPs.
The IDPs from Brigade-1 (Thaton District) and Brigade-6 (Myawaddy District) have to drink unclean water due to the rains.
Saw Nanda Su, Spokesperson of the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) said: “The IDPs from Lay Kay Kaw area, who are taking shelter in the Brigade-6 territory face a shortage of clean water in the rainy season due to the flooding. The IDPs from Brigade-1 territory also face the drinking water problem. Due to the unclean water, there are outbreaks of diarrhoea. The Karen health and social organization is mainly responsible for health. The Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People also provides the water purification machine and food rations.”
The IDPs are in need of medicine as children and the elderly suffer from malaria and illness.
Naw Say Say Heh, Joint-Secretary-2 of the Karen Women Organization (KWO) said: “The IDPs are in need of medicine. There are transmissions of malaria.”
The number of the IDPs displaced by the fighting in Karen State after the coup has exceeded 170,000, according to the KHRG.
The IDPs are in need of assistance. The Karen CSOs have called on the aid organizations to provide more assistance as there are more health problems such as diarrhoea, malaria and sickness during the rainy season.
Sent by the NMG