Civilians sheltering in the jungles of the western part of Karenni (Kayah) state, after escaping from the war, urgently need medicine. Fever and diarrheal diseases are spreading aong the IDPs as a result of scarce access to drinking water.
A volunteer who is helping the internally displaced people (IDPs) told KIC, “It is very cold here and water is scarce, so adults and children easily get sick. Most of them have occasional diarrhea and stomach ache. They also vomit. Although it is generally considered to be seasonal flu, this issue should not be neglected. Some patients need to be provided drip bottles”.
A clinic is operating where the IDPs are sheltering, but there is not enough medicine, and the cost of medical treatment is very high for the civilians with no income. In this situation the only other option is to travel to a hospital in the Yar Taung area for treatment, but people cannot go because the journey is too far, an IDP explained.
“Diarrhea is common here. There is not enough water, so we have to buy it to use. Children also suffer from diarrhea and vomiting when there is no medicine”, he said.
Some medical aid arrived, but not enough to distribute to the IDPs. When they were unable to obtain the full prescription, some patients experienced a recurrence of the disease after several days.
Karenni Society Network Group (KSNG) announced on December 7th that the number of IDPs in Karenni state surged to 202,225 between February 1st, 2021 when the military coup happened and December 5th, 2022.
