UNICEF calls for urgent response to Rohingya camp water contamination

The WHO says 62 percent of the water drawn from wells at Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar is contaminated with high levels of bacteria, including E. Coli.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 22 Nov 2017, 04:50 AM
Updated : 22 Nov 2017, 04:50 AM

E. Coli is used to measure the level of water faecal contamination. Its presence in drinking water from wells confirms that oral faecal contamination is occurring, says UNICEF.

A total of 36,096 cases of acute watery diarrhoea have been reported between Aug 25 and Nov 11, resulting in 10 deaths. About 42 percent of the patients are under 5-years-old and the report suggests the infection rate is trending upwards.

Though a direct cause for the disease has not been identified, UNICEF suggests it may be tied to contaminated food and water.

“Some of the tube wells inside the camps have been dug to shallower depths, have been poorly sited, are very congested and do not have safeguards in place to prevent bacterial contamination at ground level,” UNICEF said.

Poor hygiene practices, such as use of dirty containers and improper water handling, may also contribute.

UNICEF says it has begun working with Bangladesh authorities to identify the cause of the contamination and ensure the construction of better tube wells.

The organisation is also providing water purification tablets and promoting good hygiene practices.

Some 621,000 Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh since the start of a Myanmar military offensive in Rakhine state on Aug 25.

UNICEF is currently distributing approximately 195,000 litres of water to over 50,000 people a day through water treatment and trucking and has installed 420 tube wells to serve some 140,000 people.