In Kyaikto Township, Mon State, where fighting and daily artillery shelling continue, hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are suffering from skin infections and diarrheal diseases, according to local sources.
Since April, displaced people have been frequently fleeing through the forests and hills to avoid the ongoing conflict. With the arrival of the early monsoon season, they are now facing increased health issues, including skin infections and diarrhea.
A volunteer doctor providing medical care at an IDP site in Kyaikto said, “These illnesses are affecting entire families. In a household of five, at least three often fall ill. Since families use the same stream water, if one household in a neighborhood gets sick, all of them do. Children, in particular, are suffering the most.”
Along with diarrhea and skin conditions, a small number of flu-like cases have been reported, with symptoms including fever and chills. The poor living conditions and changing weather are believed to be contributing factors.
The illnesses are primarily caused by unclean food, unsafe drinking water from streams, and inadequate sanitation, including a lack of proper latrines and insect-proof toilets.
“They drink untreated stream water and eat food without proper cleaning. The toilets aren’t secure from flies. During the rainy season, clothes stay wet for days, and wearing damp clothes leads to fungal infections like ringworm,” the doctor explained.
The diarrhea currently affecting the camps is not believed to be the more dangerous seasonal infectious type, so there is no immediate cause for alarm. However, the number of patients is rising steadily.
Although fly-proof toilets have been built in advance as part of annual preparedness efforts, they are insufficient to accommodate the growing number of displaced people, which increases monthly.
So far, there have been no critical shortages of medicine, but medical volunteers warn that if the outbreak worsens, there could be future challenges in supplying enough treatment.
According to a statement from the Karen National Union (KNU), more than 10,000 IDPs are currently sheltering in Kyaikto Township, where the military junta continues daily attacks with mortar shells.
