By Kantarawaddy Times
Refugees who fled to a Thai refugee camp are suffering from malnutrition because they can’t eat a balanced meal, and it has been particularly hard on the expecting mothers and children, says Maw Soe Myar, a volunteer helping people from Karenni State displaced by the conflict.
She is calling for more aid for the 21 pregnant women who fled from Daw Hnoe Ku displaced camp and now live in the refugee camp along the border in Thailand. “We can see that these pregnant women have some symptoms of malnutrition. When we measure their hands, they do not reach the standard measurement… and they often feel tired.”
Malnutrition not only affects the mother but can also cause problems for the unborn baby by stunting the fetus’s physical and mental development, leading to disabilities, malformed organs, and premature delivery, as explained by Maw Soe Myar.
The volunteer also helps people who still live at Daw Hnoe Ku and said they lack basic medical equipment to determine if expecting mothers living in the camp are malnourished. They are sent across the border to Karenni Refugee Camp 1, where such devices are available for their medical check-up.
“Medical staff from Karenni Refugee Camp 1 have informed us that these pregnant women are suffering from malnutrition.”
In September, at Daw Hnoe Ku, a mother’s baby died when it was born prematurely. The woman was malnourished during her pregancy.
