A humanitarian crisis in Chin State
Health and Hope is a charity organization that has been delivering humanitarian aid, education and healthcare for the IDPs, refugees and the conflict affected populations in Chin state Myanmar. We have allocated some of Better Burma’s donation fund to him in previous months, and he has been very appreciative of our donors’ generosity. Last week we interviewed one of the charity’s leaders, who for safety’s sake we will refer to as “Dr. Salai.”
Dr. Salai is a medical doctor and member of the Chin ethnic group. In the interview, he described the situation in Chin State and gave his views as a social worker on the plight of Chin refugees who are now in India. According to Dr. Salai, some 40,000-50,000 people have fled from the villages and towns of Chin State, crossing the border to Mizoram State in India. They come from all over Chin State, including Mindat, Matupi, Kanpetlet and Thantlang. Due to various risks and security concerns, refugees cannot settle in one single place but are forced to keep moving from one spot to another. This makes it extremely difficult for charities to provide continuous humanitarian relief. While charity workers have managed to deliver aid in the form of food and shelter, and so there remains a huge demand for items such as blankets, mosquito nets, shelters and medicine.
When asked about the refugees’ medical needs, Dr. Salai stated that there are three main groups of people they are focusing on as the most vulnerable populations. The first is what are referred to as “internally displaced persons” (IDPs) who are still inside Myanmar. The second group consists of refugees who have crossed the border into India. The last group is people who have been affected by the conflict. The top priority is to supply emergency health care to (i) pregnant women, (ii) infants, and (iii) the elderly and others with chronic diseases. Pregnant women and infants under five are provided with multivitamins and nutritious food, which is in short supply. Dr. Salai and his team have seen pregnant women in life-threatening situations due to poor nutrition. Their primary medical needs are multivitamins, painkillers, paracetamol, first-aid kits, and antimicrobials for common diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, stomach issues, diarrhea and malaria. The medical team is also concerned about other infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Chin State is one of the least-developed regions in Myanmar, with a fragile public health system. Natural disasters such as landslides are also common in Chin State. After 2015 under the NLD administration, the government started strengthening and improving the public health sector in Chin State. However, the Chin people have been severely hit by the pandemic since the military coup, especially during the third wave of infections.
Dr. Salai also discussed problems with diarrhea and the need for clean drinking water. He described how cases of diarrhea are managed with what are called “oral rehydration solutions” (ORS), as well as through health awareness campaigns in the IDP and refugee camps. Other solutions include boiling water, keeping water containers clean, pumping water from streams through PVC pipes and keeping toilets clean. As most people living in these camps lack medical knowledge, public health education on the concept of WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) is also provided. To ensure people have access to clean water in the camps, there is also a need for water containers/tanks, construction materials such as PVC pipes, toilets and other materials, though these can be difficult to transport and deliver to people living in widely dispersed camps.
With this, Dr. Salai begged off the phone call, as he explained he had urgent matters to attend to. He promised to make time to continue the update as soon as it was safe again to do so.
Please also keep in mind that a generous donor has offered to match all donations through the month of March, and so anything you give now may count as double!
