MUNAI, Lanao del Norte (MindaNews/02 Nov) -- Eleven children have died in the evacuation center here and more are reportedly dying.

Raissa Ariraya, a midwife attending to three child patients at the Munai Municipal Health Center, said pneumonia and measles were the leading causes of death in August and September.

But those who died in October were monitored to have suffered from nausea and diarrhea, she said.

Emran Balabagan, 7, an evacuee from Barangay Bacolod and Suraini Bangkin, 1, an evacuee from Barangay Ramayin, were among those at the health center who were being treated for nausea, diarrhea and fever when journalists visited them on Thursday.

Asked if they have not missed recording other deaths at the evacuation center, Ariraya said “that could not be possible.”

But seven imams, in a group interview at the mosque here after their three o’clock afternoon prayers, were one in saying that 30 people have died in the evacuation center since August 18.

Aside from visiting Balabagan and Bangkin, the journalists who were on coverage tour in war-affected communities brought 28-day-old Hamda Makuranda to a hospital in Iligan City. They found the ailing infant in one of the makeshift shelters being attended to by his mother Meriam.

Meriam’s husband, who was with his first wife, first refused to bring her child to the hospital since she had no money, but was later convinced by Fr. Eduardo Vasquez after the priest was able to raise P5,000 in contribution from among the journalists and another P5,000 from a fellow priest.

Ariraya theorized that the “seeming outbreak” of diarrhea “could be caused by poor sanitation” in the crowded evacuation center that hosts around 15,000 evacuees from 21 of the 26 barangays of Munai.

The evacuees said that many of their neighbors have opted to stay in houses of relatives. (Romy Elusfa/MindaNews contributor)

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