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Death toll rises in flood displaced camps

Five more persons who were displaced by the Koshi floods died while undergoing treatment from a serious bout of diarrhea in hospitals in flood hit Sunsari and Saptari district Saturday. With this, the death toll in the aftermath of the floods has reached 16.

Reports quoted police as saying that Babita Ray, 45, and Mohhamed Khatun, 25, both locals of Haripur, Sunsari succumbed to diarrhea while undergoing treatment.

Similarly, hundreds of flood victims housed in 20 government-run camps of Sunsari are suffering from diseases like diarrhea, pneumonia, typhoid and cold.

The government is running medical centers in the camps to keep a check on the deteriorating health and sanitation condition of the flood displaced.

On Friday, Health Minister Girirajmani Pokharel promised that medical teams, including eight gynecologists will be mobilised at camps for the displaced people from Saturday.

"Our main concern is to contain diseases inside the camps, which are likely to reach epidemic proportions if not acted upon immediately," he said. "The camps should be insulated against the cold and provided with safe drinking water and proper toilets."

Similarly, reports from Saptari said that three more persons who were displaced by the Koshi floods died while undergoing treatment. The deceased have been identified as Kasira Khatun, 26 from Haripur-8, Sunsari, Goma Chaudhary, 24, of Fattepur-1, Saptari and Jham Bahadur Thapa Magar, 65. While Khatun succumbed to diarrhea, Chaudhary and Thapa Magar died due to snake-bite on Saturday.

In the meantime, the government is planning to shift the Koshi flood displaced, who are taking shelter in 20 government run camps of Sunsari, to new shelters.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Durga Prasad Bhandari told the Kathmandu Post that over 27,000 people of Shripur, Haripur, Paschim Kusaaha and Aschim Laukahi VDCs, forced out from their villages due to the flood three weeks ago, will be rehabilitated in three new sectors.

The government has decided to house around 8000 displaced on a state owned land at Laukahi, some 7000 inside the Eastern Regional Prison at Jhumka and the rest at Simiray, according to the report.

"We are also holding discussion with the Indian security agencies for repatriation of the displaced from bordering Indian villages, who had swarmed to Nepal in the wake of the flood," said Bhandari.

Sunsari administration estimates that over 10,000 Indians are staying in the district based displaced shelters at present.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is helping Nepali authorities monitor the health status of the flood victims in the camps while also helping the Ministry of Health and Population in preparing a massive measles and polio vaccination campaign for children, slated to begin next week.

"WHO is monitoring the situation very closely with the Epidemiology and Diseases Control Division of the Ministry of Health, to ensure the health of the affected people," a statement released by the UN quoted Alex Andjaparidze, WHO Representative to Nepal, as saying.

The statement said the UN agency with essential stocks standing by in the event of a disaster, was able to respond promptly, sending drugs and emergency medicines to treat 5,000 severe cases, enough health kits for 120,000 people for one month, malaria kits for 10,000 people for three months and diarrhoeal medications to help over 5,500 patients. nepalnews.com Sept 07 08