Cholera outbreak reported in Kachin refugee camp
Emergency supplies of medicine are needed for an outbreak of cholera in a camp housing civilians displaced by conflict in Kachin State’s Mansi Township, a health care worker has told Mizzima.
The medical in-charge of the Mine Khaung refugee camp, La Htaw Naw Lai, said on January 20 that more than 50 children had been diagnosed with cholera at the start of the month, but the number with the disease had since declined.
Medicine was also needed to treat an outbreak of colds in the camp, La Htaw Naw Lai said.
“We are having problems because we are running out of medicine in the camp,” he said.
He said a charity organization in the state capital, Myitkyina, had helped to ease a food shortage in the camp by supplying bags of rice but the refugees needed more nutrition in their diet.
La Htaw Naw Lai said there was also a shortage of drinking water and adequate shelter.
“It is cold and the refugees have to sleep on the floor and some are sleeping on the ground,” he said.
Kayin Baptist Convention is helping to ease the housing situation by building six shelters for the refugees.
The camp houses more than 700 people from three villages, who were forced to flee their homes late last year because of fighting between government forces and the Kachin Independence Army.