UK medics to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
London: A team of British medical staff is travelling to Bangladesh to help tackle an outbreak of diphtheria affecting Rohingya Muslim refugee camps, the media reported on Thursday.
More than 40 doctors, nurses and firefighters will arrive at the fishing port Cox's Bazar following a request from the World Health Organisation (WHO), reports the BBC.
Cox's Bazar is home to more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in bordering Myanmar.
The British government said the deployment was "another proud moment for the NHS (National Health Service)".
This is the first deployment of Britain's emergency medical team (EMT) since it was certified by the WHO in 2016.
The staff will be at the camps for six weeks working to fight the spread of diphtheria, as up to 160 new cases of the disease were being reported every day.
The highly contagious disease has already killed at least 27 people, according to health officials.
As of December 21, the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had seen more than 2,000 suspected cases in its health facilities. The majority of patients were between five and 14 years old, the BBC reported.
An estimated 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine, since August.
The UN described the military offensive in Rakhine, which provoked the exodus, as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
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Will meet President Droupadi Murmu on Malayalam imposition: Karnataka Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Kannada and Culture Minister of Karnataka, Shivaraj Tangadagi, on Friday said a delegation from the state will meet President Droupadi Murmu to protect the Kannadigas in Kasargod of Kerala against the Malayalam imposition on them.
He also said due to the Kerala government's Malayalam Language Bill, the border regions having Kannada population are in trouble.
Speaking to reporters, Tangadagi said that according to article 350(b) of the Indian constitution, linguistic minorities should be protected, Kerala-Kasaragod linguistic officer should be appointed and the opinion of people living there should be taken.
“The Malayalam Language Bill sent to the Governor for assent has put the Kannadigas in the border towns in trouble. We will meet the President of India Droupadi Murmu and apprise her about the development,” the minister said.
According to him, there are about 7.5 lakh Kannadigas in Kasargod region of Kerala. There are about 210 Kannada schools functioning in the border regions.
“Injustice should not be meted out to the Kannadigas. We also will not let it happen. I am also considering to send a team to Kasaragod,” the Minister said.
The Karnataka Border Area Development Authority (KBADA) secretary Prakash Mattihalli met Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and apprised him about the situation. He has also requested him not to give assent to the bill, Tangadagi said.
“I will also take the matter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s notice and on the measures to be taken,” he said.
