Health crisis amid the Maoist insurgency in India
Item
- Title
- Health crisis amid the Maoist insurgency in India
- Creator
- Kristin Elisabeth Solberg
- Date
- 2009
- extracted text
-
World
Health crisis amidthe Maoist insurgency in India
The ongoing conflict between India's Maoist rebels and the government across stales in the east
and centre of the country has displaced thousands of people. Refugees living in camps and
settlements face a multitude of health problems. Kristin Elisabeth Solberg reports.
In the intense Indian midday heat, a
controlled camps which dot southern
NGO, Vanwasi Chetna Ashram, says
3-year-old barefoot refugee stumbles
Chhattisgarh
that malaria is definitely increasing in
towards his father. Madivi Gangar's
stomach is bloated, and his thin arms
are dotted with the scaly patches of
The
living
conditions
in
both
the camps and the settlements are
the state. "Malaria has always been
a problem in the area", he says, "but
now, when proper medicines are no
ringworm. With tired eyes he looks up
precarious. "Ihe refugees have lost
everything because of the conflict ",
at his father—a skinny man queuing
says Shaik Haneef, who hands out
situation has worsened".
“ I he violent conflict ..has
also made access to clean drinking water
organisation (NGO). “We don't have
already had a devastating
anything to eat. My wife died from
effect on the physical and
difficult, adds Kumar. Some villages
and settlements have consequently
starvation last year", Moodivi Ramesh
rnriit.il lu-.ilt h ol people in
seen epidemic oulhieaks ol scabies
says as he receives a pack of painkillers
affected a mas..."
up for basic medicines being handed
out by a visiting non governmental
longer supplied to the people, the
The violence and displacement have
The family is among several hundred
" I he villagers don't have clean di inking
waler, and arc not provided sufficient
thousand caught up in an armed
painkillers to refugees through his NGO
medicines when they arc affected with
Maoist insurgency in the heart of India.
Sitara "They have no proper clothing,
scabies", Kumar says.
The violent conflict, which analysts say
no water, little food That makes them
Even though malaria and a lack of
will escalate in the coming years, has
vulnerable to many health problems,
cleandrinking water pose serious health
already had a devastating effect on the
including malaria", he adds.
challenges, malnutrition is perhaps the
physical and mental health of people
Malaria is a major problem among
single largest health problem in the
in affected areas, which are largely
the refugees, explains Haneef. Malaria
conflict zone In the settlement where
poor and rural. Malaria, diarrhoea, and
was prevalent in the dense forests
of Chhattisgarh before the conflict
child can muster the energy to play or
zone Clean drinking water is scarce,
intensified in 2005- But, Haneef says,
run. One girl, aged 3 years, weighs only
and malnutrition is the new norm’. In
the problem is much more acute now,
20 lbs A boy, aged 5 years, weighs as
areas under complete Maoist control,
with a large numbci of people displaced
little as 29 lbs
moreover, public health care is reported
in areas which am difficult to access.
skin infections flourish in the conflict
to be failing or altogether absent.
Moodivi Ramesh and his family live, no
Devamma Madakam, a mother of
Other NGO workers in the conflict
five, says she finds it impossible to
India's Maoist rebels, known as the
zone notice the same trend. Himash
feed her children in the settlement.
Naxalites, are active in 16 states across
eastern and central parts of the sub
Kumar, director of the Chhattisgarh
“We have shelter, but no food We arc
continent. The underdeveloped state
of Chhattisgarh is the epicentre of the
insurgency. Here, villagers like Moodivi
Ramesh and his six children are caught
in the middle of the increasingly
violent conflict between the rebels
and a government-backed anti-Naxal
civil militia known as the Salva Judum.
Local NGOs estimate that more than
100000 villagers have fled because
of the
violence
in
Chhattisgarh.
Some, like Moodivi Ramcsh's family,
five in settlements in the dense
forest in the neighbouring states of
Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Others
live in the state-run, Salva Juduin-
Moodivi Ramesh and his son, Madivi Gangar, arc given basic medicines from NGO Silaia
World Report
people within a few square kilometres—
bodies of nine more villagers were left
pose another serious health threat,
adds UNICEF colleague Akhilesh
scattered around the village.
Gauparn, a water and sanitation officer.
a devastating effect on mental health,
"One of the major public-health issues
says Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia
Any kind of
researcher for Human Rights Watch
infectious disease will spread fast and
On a recent visit to the conflict zone
here is overcrowding
reach many. No major epidemic has
in Chhattisgarh, Ganguly met several
happened yet, but overall the risk is
high, due to the conflict"
traumatised victims
In
addition
to
the
estimated
100000 refugees living in camps
and settlements, several hundred
thousand people also live—voluntarily
or involuntarily—in Maoist-controlled
areas in Chhattisgarh and other
Indian states which arc affected by the
insurgency. Access to these areas is
nearly impossible, and little is known
Malaria is a major problem amoiK) refugees in settlements and camps
starving", she says, adding that the
family is sometimes forced to cook and
cal forest roots to Iced their hunger.
children, who have lost both their
parents and found their bodies
discarded in the forest", she says,
adding that the state is "completely
unequipped" to handle this trauma
"Health care in this area is skeleton to
begin with, and there's no availability
of any skilled counselling", she says
about the humanitarian situation on
It seems unlikely that the victims
the ground. Public health care, however,
will be given a chance to recover from
is reported to be scarce or non-existent.
their trauma any time soon. Political
"We don't know much about the
and security analysts generally agree
situation in the Naxal-controllcd areas",
that the Maoist insurgency is gaining
says Khobragade, "but it's reported that
momentum. They warn that violence
the public health care is in a shambles".
will increase in the next few years, as
NGOs attempting to fill the health
the rebels spread to new areas and tigh
care vacuum in the Maoist-controlled
ten their hold of existing ones. There
are already signs that they are right So
far, 2008 has been an especially bloody
year, with almost constant fighting
between rebels and security personnel.
A continuation and escalation
of the violence will have serious
areas report that they are denied access
by Indian authorities, who quote
security concerns "We have comeacross
many villagers who say they are dying
from lack of medicines", says Kumar of
Vanwasi Chetna Ashram. "We're talking
about diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery,
run camps face similar challenges.
and malaria Simple medicines can save
the conflict zone. “For one, it. will
UNICEF
their lives, but even our NG0 workers
be mentally very exhausting", says
According
living
to
a
in
the
recent
assessment in Chhattisgarh's largest
camp, 80% of the children under the
1324
"Children de
scribed landmines erupting in front of
them There are also many orphaned
state-
Refugees
&i
HI
Experiences like this inevitably have
are not allowed to go into the area."
But
the health effects of India's
consequences for the rural poor in
Khobragade of UNICEF. "Secondly, the
delivery of government health services
age of 5 years were malnourished.
Maoist insurgency are not only physical.
in these areas will be increasingly
Malnutrition is a contributing factor
For the rest of his life, 50-year-old
challenging", he adds. The death toll,
in more than 50% of deaths in the age
Devaiah Madakam will be haunted by
which over the last 5 years totals more
group under 5 yeais, a figure which
the memory of what happened 2 years
than 2500, is also likely to rise.
Pravcn Khobragade, health officer for
ago, when a mob he alleges belonged
UNICEF in Chhattisgarh, says is a "big
to Chhattisgarh's Salva Judum militia
from starvation last year,
concern". With malnutrition come
other health problems too, especially
attacked his village. Hiding in the
counted as part of these statistics. Her
six children are now fighting for their
forest, the tribal man watched the
mob cut off his brother's hands, legs
Moodivi Ramesh's wife, who died
is
not
in children, ho adds. “They suffer from
vitamin A deficiencies, and are at
and head with large knives. "I cried all
his empty, bloated stomach, looks up
increased risk of diarrhoea and all sorts
the way back to my village", Madakam
of infections, including pneumonia,
malaria, and skin diseases."
says, sitting outside his hut in a refugee
settlement in Andhra Pradesh. Back in
at his father again, his feverish eyes
begging for help. "I'm crying inside",
I he overcrowded camps—the largest
his village, Madakam says, he found
of which houses more than 17000
his hut burned to the ground. I he
own survival. 3-year-old Madivi, with
his father says.
Kristin Elisabeth Solberg
Vol 371 April 19, 2008
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