Internally displaced people (IDPs) taking shelter on Mose Island in Rathedaung Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State, are experiencing a widespread outbreak of skin diseases, according to social aid groups assisting them.

Around 700 IDP families had previously experienced outbreaks of skin infections, which had subsided. However, since November, the outbreaks have reemerged aggressively.

“The majority are suffering from rashes and itchy skin, affecting nearly all IDPs, both children and adults. Since the start of their displacement, skin infections have occurred intermittently. The exact cause remains unclear, and it is uncertain whether it is linked to unclean water or living conditions,” said an IDP woman from Mose Island.

IDPs who require medical treatment but cannot afford it are forced to rely on placebos and traditional remedies. Consequently, they said they urgently need access to effective healthcare.

Skin infections were widespread at the end of last year and later subsided, but they are now worsening once again.

“Not all IDP households live in one place. They stay in groups of around 70 to 80 families, so it gets really crowded, which makes infections spread faster. On top of that, the lack of clean water makes things worse, and not having enough medicine makes it even harder to control the problem,” said the abbot, who leads the Rathedaung-based Mahar Karuṇā (Great Mercy) social aid foundation.

Currently, thousands of IDPs are living on Mose Island. They face not only challenges related to livelihood and healthcare but are also constantly under threat from the junta’s airstrikes and artillery shelling.

Last year, multiple skin diseases spread widely among IDP communities across Arakan State.

Fighting has raged in Arakan State for over two years. During this period, the Arakan Army (AA) has seized control of 14 townships in Arakan State and Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State.

The ongoing military conflict has displaced over 600,000 people in Arakan State, leaving them in urgent need of food, shelter, medicine, and other essential aid.