Cyclone Mocha victims in Myebon Twsp urgently require food and shelters

26 May 2023

DMG Newsroom
26 May 2023, Myebon
 
The storm victims in Arakan State’s Myebon Township are reportedly in need of assistance such as food and shelter.
 
Locals in Myaukkyein, Nyaung Taw, Pyinchaung, Ngamanye and TadaU villages in Myebon Township are facing difficulties accessing food, shelters and clean drinking water, residents said.
 
Locals are facing difficulties after Cyclone Mocha destroyed over 60 out of 90 homes in Nyaungtaw Village, said U Shwe Thein, an administrator of the village.
 
“The military council distributed 11 rice sacks storm victims in the village yesterday. We did not receive other relief items yet,” he added.
 
Residents in Nyaungtaw Village rely on fishing and farming for their livelihood. As the prawn ponds were ravaged by the storm, they need to be quickly repaired before the rainy season, but they have financial difficulties, the locals said.

 
About 60 percent of homes in Myaukkyein Village-tract in Myebon Township were destroyed by the storm. The storm victims set up makeshift tents to live since they are currently unable to repair their homes, said U Kyaw Than, the village-tract administrator.
 
“The elderly people face more trouble. If the sun is hot, the elderly get sick,” he added.
 
Only 22.6 percent of downtown Myebon was damaged by the storm, but 50 percent was damaged in rural areas, according to the township administrator's office.
 
Relief items are being provided to the villages with the most losses, said Myebon Township Administrator U Lin Naing.
 
“I heard international donors are preparing to donate relief items, but no organization has yet to come here. I would like to request donors to contribute as much as they can to help the storm victims in rural areas with the most losses. We are currently supplying the storm victims with rice,” he said.
 
Some public schools, religious schools, hospitals and homes are among over 7,800 buildings destroyed by the cyclone in Myebon Township.
 
A total of 1,156,796 people were affected by the cyclone and accompanying torrential flooding in Arakan State, with financial losses totaling nearly K4.7 billion and 148 deaths, the junta’s Arakan State Administration Council said on Friday.