By KPN

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Diarrhea is affecting many in the Lada unofficial refugee camp recently, said a refugee from the camp.

Some refugees from Lada camp have been suffering with diarrhea for over a week as the conditions in the camp are very unsanitary.

Liala Begum, 27, wife of Mohamed Alam, Block-C of Lada camp, has been suffering with diarrhea. She has tried to reach the health officers from Muslim Aid, but has failed as the health center is closed at night, according to Hamza, a relative of Liala.

“There is a diarrhea center in the camp, but it’s closed without notice at the night.”

While her condition became serious, she went to a local doctor at night and took oral saline.

So far, there is no information about deaths in the camp from diarrhea. If the situation continues in the camp, refugees fear that diarrhea will eventually kill refugees.

The camp has over 1,200 unregistered refugees, who fled from Burma because of political discrimination and unbearable harassment by the military regime. They are not registered by UNHCR, which does not supply any help to these refugees. The EU is providing aid to the refugees for shelter, sanitation, and health.

The refugees work outside the camp for their survival, but sometimes they are harassed by local villagers or robbed while on the way back to the camp from their jobs, Ahmed, a refugee father of five children, said.

“Sometimes, Bangladesh security personnel arrest refugees while they go to work or return from work.”