Internally displaced people (IDPs) in Nyaunglebin District in Bago Region – an area controlled by Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 3 – are in need of medical supplies as malaria and seasonal flu increase during the rainy season, according to people helping the IDPs.
Local IDPs remain displaced during the rainy season, leading them to contract colds. Flu, in particular, is common among children, they said.
With the rising number of IDPs in the area, the military council has restricted the delivery of medical supplies, said a man helping IDPs in the Mone Township.
“We aren’t allowed to transport medical items. We can’t meet the needs because we have to transport them ourselves. It’s expected that with heavier rains, more people will suffer from these diseases. The current donors don’t dare to transport medical supplies,” he said.
“In addition, because of the unstable situation in the area, few people visit clinics or hospitals. Instead, they rely on folk medicine. This has exacerbated the disease situation,” said a local woman.
“When they fall ill with a disease, they first turn to the folk medicine available. Only when it becomes serious do they go to a clinic or hospital. Here they use a medicine called “Pankar”, of which we can get three packets for 500 kyat. Usually, they only go to the clinic if the disease doesn’t go away,” she said.
Caption: IDPs in Mone Township, Bago Region (Photo: KHRG)
Although Karen civilian health organizations and other charities are providing medical assistance to displaced residents, conflict continues in the area, according to IDP aid workers.
In addition, the Myanmar army continues to fire light and heavy weapons at villages, further exacerbating displacement and the need for medical supplies, aid workers said.
On 2 and 3 July, three men were wounded by junta artillery shells in Yaetwinkonegyi and Ohnpinsu villages, and more than 1,400 people from three villages were forced to flee to safety.
According to data compiled Karen civil organizations, more than 1.5 million people had been displaced by the war in Nyaunglebin County as of May 2023 after the military took power.
Sent by KIC.