by Guy Page

An ethnic group considered perhaps the most oppressed, suffering people group on the planet is suffering from ethnic cleansing, forced relocation to enclosed camps in one of the poorest nations in the world, deadly mudslides, out-of-control fires destroying their homes, and deadly diphtheria.

They are the Rohingya – forced out of Myanmar to live in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh where they suffer all of the above calamities and more, as reported last night by Greta Van Sustert on her 6 pm nightly news program, The Record.

As my wife and I watched in horror, I wondered if any Americans were helping.

Then the news segment showed footage of Samaritan’s Purse, the international aid group founded and operated by Billy Graham’s son Franklin, much reviled in the MSM for his faith-based stand on sexuality, gender and abortion.

Since 2017, Samaritan’s Purse has been among the Rohingya, with a special focus on the diphtheria epidemic.

The following is a report from Samaritan’s Purse:

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees have streamed into Bangladesh from Myanmar. Our Disaster Assistance Response Team is on the ground to help in Jesus’ Name.

Diphtheria is spreading among the more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees crammed into Kutupalong camp—one of the largest refugee camps in the world. We opened a Diphtheria Treatment Center in Kutupalong on Dec. 31 and have seen more than 3,400 people, with nearly 700 admitted for diphtheria. With proper treatment, people gasping for breath upon admittance can be fully recovered in a day or two.

Although diphtheria can be treated with antibiotics, more critical situations require administering diphtheria antitoxin by IV. We have treated more than 200 patients with the antitoxin.

Our 70-bed center was constructed in just a few weeks and is the only diphtheria center for the southern half of the refugee camp. Most of our patients are children, who are prone to more serious cases of the disease.

LATEST: Medical Teams Continue Caring for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh • Franklin Graham in Bangladesh to See Work with Rohingya Refugees • Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Receive Lifesaving Treatment for Diphtheria • Diphtheria Treatment Center Soon to Open in Bangladesh • Rohingya Refugees Receive Critical Surgical Care

In addition, Samaritan’s Purse has also supplied personnel and equipment to increase the capacity of Memorial Christian Hospital, where Rohingya refugees are receiving surgical care not available in the camps. Our DC-8 aircraft arrived in Bangladesh on Dec. 7 to deliver 20 tons of surgical equipment and medical supplies to Memorial Christian, one of our longtime partner hospitals. We also provided funding for the construction of two wards for the hospital’s Rohingya Care Unit.