Sigli – The state of health among refugees in the sub-districts of Bandar Dua and Ulim, Pidie is beginning to cause anxiety. Disease is striking the children in particular.

On Wednesday, 9 June, at least 150 children below 12 years of age were suffering from flu, one hundred from the sub-distrct of Bandar Dua and fifty from the sub-district of Ulim. One baby is reported to have died in the village of Lhok Pusong Ullegle, sub-district Bandar Dua on Tuesday. The baby who died had not yet been given a name by its parents.

Disease has begun to strike because of the conditions in which the people are living and the lack of bedding to sleep on. They are sleeping on the bare ground in mosques, schools in drafty places, with inadequate food and drink, according to a local health post.

In an attempt to cope with the worsening conditions, the local government has brought in a team of doctors and medical staff who are on duty 24 hours. The team is headed by Dr Mar'i Aziz, head of the Pidie Health Department, and five health centres have been opened. Up to yesterday, doctors had dealt with one thousand patients.

The people have fled from 42 villages – from 32 villages in Bandar Dua, eight villages in Ulim and two villages in Meureudu. They have been fleeing their villages since 6 June because of the fear that war would erupt, after seeing troops enter their villages. Up to yesterday, the number of refugees had reached 20,000 to 30,000 and they are being accommodated in mosques, schools and other public buildings.

Coordinator M. Idris Jalil said that to cope with the problem, health centres have been set up in a number of places to treat patients 24 hours a day.