Rohingya Died Due to Diarrhea in IDP Camp Pauktaw

In a tragic development, around 20 individuals, mostly children, have died from diarrhea-related illnesses over the past month in two Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Pauktaw Township, Arakan State, Myanmar.

According to local reports, 19 people passed away in September in the Sin Tet Maung and Ah Knouk Yae camps, which house both Rohingya and Kaman Muslims. Sin Tet Maung Camp, with approximately 3,000 residents, and Ah Knouk Yae Camp, which shelters around 5,000 individuals, have been severely impacted. Additionally, surrounding villages, including Sin Tet Maung and Ah Knouk Yae, have also reported fatalities.

The victims include 11 children under the age of 10, four children under 15, two individuals under 25, and three elderly persons. Despite the growing number of cases, residents have struggled to access healthcare and essential medicines due to movement restrictions and lack of resources.

Seeking medical treatment is an uphill battle for the IDPs. To access care at Myaebon Hospital, they need a recommendation letter from the Arakan Army (AA), and the boat ride to the hospital can cost between 500,000 and 700,000 Kyats—an amount unaffordable for many.

Local sources report that for the past six months, no humanitarian organizations have provided aid or medical assistance in Pauktaw Township, worsening the plight of the residents. Even basic treatments, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), are difficult to obtain, with each packet costing 5,000 Kyats.

Rohingya Vision News will continue to report on the dire situation in the IDP camps and the urgent need for humanitarian intervention to prevent further loss of life.

Rohingya Vision News