Sanitory conditions claim 21 Tual refugees' lives

AMBON, Maluku (JP): At least 21 refugees in makeshift refugee centers in Tual, the capital of Southeast Maluku regency, have died in recent weeks from cholera and other communicable diseases. Poor living conditions and malnutrition are blamed for the deaths, which have included nine children.

Activists at the Al-Huriyah shelter said the victims were among thousands of Muslims fleeing religious clashes between Muslims and Christians in their villages. The 21 victims have died in separate refugee centers such as Ohoitahit camp, the Navy air base and the Islamic Center camp.

Paula Bataona Renyaan, head of the Maluku natural disaster coordinating unit Satkorlak, described the refugee situation as "a cause for grave concern". She made the remark after visiting the shelters, especially the Navy air base where about 2,000 people were living in any space available on the base.

Refugees have built small camps on the ground using cardboard boxes, plastic and other scraps, said Paula, who is also the deputy governor of Maluku.

The sizes of the shelters varied. For instance, she said, a two meter by six meter tent could house five families.

Tamher, an official of Maluku's Ministry of Health who was assisting Paula in the visit, said dirty water and squalid living conditions in the refugee centers were to blame for the deaths.

Many refugees died of diarrhea, infection of respiratory tract or when giving birth, Tamher said, adding there were enough supplies of antibiotics and vitamins. "The problem is we lack paramedics and we have only four doctors in Tual."

Health facilities were provided in nearly every camp, Paula said, "but the refugees have not taken advantage of the facilities because there is a lack of health service information".

"Food quality is so poor that even children under five are subsisting on only rice and the traditional food embal (cassava)."

Southeast Maluku regent Rahayaan estimated at least 30,000 refugees were sheltered in separate camps in Tual, making it difficult for the local administration to distribute food supplies.

"We distribute supplies through village heads. This is hard because the residents of each village are scattered in various camps," Rahayaan told The Jakarta Post by phone on Tuesday.

One hundred metric tons of rice were received this week, he added.

The communal clashes between Muslims and Christians in Maluku which erupted in mid-January have killed more than 400 people and caused up to 100,000 to flee the province. The latest outbreak of violence occurred in Tual, Southeast Maluku, where at least 130 people were killed.(48/edt)