Kids die of illnesses in Zamboanga City evacuation centers

A woman and her two children wait for food to arrive at Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, where thousands of people have taken shelter from fighting between government forces and Moro rebels in Zamboanga City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/EDWIN BACASMAS

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Twenty-six-year-old Narpisa Opina fears for the life of her two-week-old baby.

Opina said a number of babies have died at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, where thousands of families have been living following the fighting between government troops and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces. She said most of the children in the evacuation center have become ill with cough, colds and diarrhea.

Opina’s mother, Zaida Maru, said they wanted to leave the sports complex “because I don’t want to see my grandchildren die here,” but they could not do so because their house in the village of Sta. Barbara was razed by fire set during the fighting.

Gamar Hassan, a community leader from Rio Hondo, said Andy Musa, 66 and Abdul Makbul, 65, all from Rio Hondo died, at the sports complex.

Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, the City Health Officer, confirmed the deaths. “Musa died due to severe asthma attack and Makbul due to cardio pulmonary arrest,” Agbulos said.

Zenaida Arevalo, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said they have monitored at least 10 deaths.

“But we leave this matter to the City Health Office to monitor and process them. What we do is provide financial assistance for burial of P2,000,” Arevalo said.

Agbulos said the City Health Office has monitored at least 15 deaths — 10 of whom were children, in three evacuation centers (Sports Complex and in the villages of Tetuan and Santa Maria) in September and October.

Two of the victims died just last Saturday.

Agbulos said the causes of deaths ranged from acute respiratory tract infection, asthma, sepsis and malnutrition-dehydration.

“Given the number of cases we monitored just inside the grandstand, the place is already considered not healthy and this is the reason why we need to decongest the place,” Agbulos said.

Local authorities have monitored 14,467 cases of acute respiratory infection, 4,649 cases of fever, 3,136 cases of acute water diarrhea, 1,962 cases of skin diseases and 1,075 cases of high blood pressure.

The City Health Office also monitored 80 severely acute malnourished and 247 moderately malnourished persons.