Sanitory conditions claim 21 Tual refugees' lives

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)