Due to Junta checkpoints obstructing the supply of medicine, IDP refugee camps in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region face shortages of malaria drugs, according to local healthcare workers.
Between April and May, there was a surge in both the number of war refugees and malaria cases within the camps in Tanintharyi.
According to an official from the Nway Oo Myittar Refugee Assistance Association, there is a shortage of essential medical equipment and malaria treatment drugs, alongside a scarcity of volunteer healthcare professionals.
"Malaria has always been prevalent in Tanintharyi, but we have seen a spike in cases within refugee camps this month. Unfortunately we are running low on medicine and test kits, and the supplies we saved up from last year are running out. It is also unlikely that medical teams capable of treating malaria will be able to reach the refugee camps”, she said.
Due to the scarcity of medicine within the camps, individuals purchasing medication or seeking medical attention in town areas are subjected to rigorous inspections by Junta troops, and those deemed suspicious are arrested.
She added that the remaining few drugs in the stockpile are being carefully rationed, raising concerns for the lives of patients experiencing severe symptoms.
"The Junta has marked Tharabon village in Taku village tract and its surrounding areas as 'black areas,' leading to frequent arrests of villagers who venture to town for medicine. That’s why nobody dares to make the trip to buy medicine anymore, and there are no means to import drugs”, she explained.
With Junta outposts blocking the transportation of not just medicine but also everyday goods, refugees are urgently requiring food, shelter, and mosquito nets.
An official from Fe 5 Tanintharyi, a monitoring group, reported that nearly 60,000 people fled their homes in Dawe, Thayetchaung, Yebyu, Palaw, and Tanintharyi townships due to clashes in April.
According to local media reports, in May, 35 cases of Plasmodium vivax (PV) malaria were detected in the eastern villages of Tanintharyi Township, with an additional 11 cases in the southern villages.
