138 dead in Zambo evacuation centers

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines-  One hundred thirty-eight evacuees displaced by last year’s siege have died  in  different evacuation camps here, a government official said. 

City Health officer Dr. Rodelyn Agbulos  said the latest mortalities were two children from the evacuation center in Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex (JFEMSC) and another elderly in a  bunkhouse last week.

More than 120,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were evacuated to the sports complex and other evacuation sites at the height of the September 9 siege staged by the renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under Nur Misuari.

“The decongestion of the evacuation camps and transfer to the transition sites...have resulted in the [lower number of deaths] compared to previous months,” Agbulos said.

He said most of those who died were not being reported immediately and are unknown as the Badjao tribe  buries remains of their kin within the 24 hours  following death.

Meanwhile, the health officer said many pneumonia and gastroenteritis cases were reported in the evacuation camps

The local health office and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-Philippine Red Cross (PRC) created a mobile team to augment medical personnel in the field and to go on rotation at the old and new transitory sites.

Agbulos said a medical team from the Department of Health (DOH) will also go on weekly rotation at the evacuation centers.

Nutritional screening will be conducted in evacuation camps in sports complex and Cawa-Cawa shoreline, as part of the continuous health monitoring of the evacuees. - Roel Pareño