3 kids die in Karbi camps

At least three children have died in relief camps in the strife-torn Karbi Anglong autonomous district in Assam in the past three days, trig...

At least three children have died in relief camps in the strife-torn Karbi Anglong autonomous district in Assam in the past three days, triggering charges of shortage of healthcare services to the 45,000 who have been rendered homeless following ethnic clashes over the last four weeks.

Confirming the deaths, District Deputy Commissioner G D Tripathi told The Indian Express over phone from Diphu that the three children who had died had one ailment or the other even before they had arrived in the relief camps. ‘‘The parents of all the three children have told the officials that they (the children who died) were sick and suffering from different diseases,’’ Tripathi said.

Dismissing allegations that there was a shortage of medicines in the 52 relief camps, Tripathi said: ‘‘We have received enough medicine from the state government. Several NGOs have also come forward with paramedics and medicine to help the people.’’

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But the AASU has accused the government of failing to provide any relief material to the homeless. ‘‘The government has not even provided tarpaulin or plastic sheets for basic shelter to the people. There is also shortage of life-saving medicine, while safe drinking water is also not available,’’ claimed Samujjal Bhattacharyya, advisor of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

Basic health amenities in the two hill districts of Assam are much below the state average. ‘‘The infant mortality and maternal mortality rates in Karbi Anglong is much higher than the state average,’’ said a government official, adding out there was a possibility of malnutrition-related deaths of children in the camps.

The children’s deaths apart, the trauma suffered by camp inmates has caused alarm among NGOs. ‘‘There is an urgent need to assess the trauma, especially the pregnant women and children so as to provide them counselling facilities,’’ said an official of North East Network, an NGO.