High number of children dying in Zambo evacuation centers--Nancy
Since the September 2013 Zamboanga siege, 88 have died

Senator Nancy Binay is alarmed by the high number of children who have died inside Zamboanga City evacuation centers and wants to know why.

The lady senator filed Senate Resolution 566 urging the body to investigate so that it would know and probe the health of children living in the centers.

Quoting reports, Binay said a total of 88 internally displaced persons have died inside evacuation camps, including 44 children ages below 5 years old and 20 persons aged 60 years and above.

"The health of families, especially those of the vulnerable--children and the elderly--must be continuously monitored and evaluated by the authorities," Binay said.

She also called on the authorities to be vigilant in their tasks, "as the health of the displaced persons is a paramount concern."

In September last year, a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) besieged the city for almost three weeks. Many have fled and have been living in evacuation centers since then.

As of November 2013, monitoring data showed 14,467 cases of acute respiratory infection; 4,649 cases of fever; 3,136 cases of acute water diarrhea; 1,262 cases of skin diseases and 1,075 cases of high blood pressure. There were also 23 cases of dengue reported as of January 2014.

"This is an alarming trend, as many people continue to stay inside the camps." Binay said.

According to the city health officer, diarrhea is the leading cause of the children's deaths while acute gastroenteritis and other respiratory ailments such as pneumonia and asthma leading to cardiac arrest are the primary causes of adult deaths.