IDP camps in Rathedaung Twsp inundated by heavy rainfall 

By Admin 15 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
15 July 2023, Sittwe

Camps for internally displaced people (IDP) in Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township have been flooded by persistent rains, according to IDPs.

East Zedi Taung IDP camp, west Zedi Taung IDP and Thiri Dharmayone Kyaung IDP camp, which are situated close to the river, have been inundated in recent days.

Floodwaters rose as much as 3 feet above ground level in west Zedi Taung camp, which houses around 900 people from 178 households. Many of the IDPs have evacuated their shelters.

“We have to cook at houses on the hill as we can’t cook at our house due to high tide. Some families sleep at Zedi Taung Monastery,” said IDP Daw Ma Su Hlaing.

Making matters worse, most IDPs have not yet been able to repair their houses that were damaged by Cyclone Mocha, and many are currently living in makeshift tents.

Floodwaters rose 2 feet above ground level in west Thiri Dharmayone Kyaung camp, which houses around 300 people from 60 households. The affected IDPs there are currently staying at the local monastery, said IDP U Kyaw Tun Naing.

“Some have got their firewood wet, and some have got their rice and clothes wet due to the flood. They have to borrow rice and clothes from others,” he said.

IDPs have also expressed public health concerns as mosquitoes and flies have found ideal breeding grounds among the pools of standing water in and around the camps following the flooding.

“We can do nothing, except wait for the tide to retreat,” said U Win Che from the east Zedi Taung displacement camp. The camp houses some 2,000 people across more than 400 households.

Most of the IDPs in Rathedaung Township were displaced by fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army between 2019 and 2020.

Some 60,000 IDPs remain at displacement camps in Arakan State.