CSOs urged to work with government aid programs

By Thet Naing 25 Apr 2019

Thet Naing / DMG

April 25, Sittwe

CSOs in Rakhine State should join with the government in order to send relief provisions to all war refugees, said U Win Myint, Minister for Municipal Affairs in Rakhine State.

“When providing relief aid for IDPs, some people do not receive aid. Sometimes, some IDP camps receive more relief items than other IDP camps. If CSOs work under the management of the government, we can avoid this situation,” the minister said.

Khaing Kaung San, Chairman of Wan Lark Foundation, welcomes the offer of the government.

“The government should hold meetings with CSOs. We don’t know how to contact them they said on a media outlet. We do welcome the idea of the government working together,” he said.

A youth charity group who collected donations for IDPs was blocked in Sittwe on April 6 by police. Moreover, the regional government instructed its departments not to arrange their own fundraising programs to provide aid for IDPs.

Regarding the ban, the minister said: “We never blocked anyone for providing relief aid, we want them to come and join with us. We want to work together.”

There are 99 refugee camps and 31,979 IDPs up to April 21 due to the battles between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army, according to the figures of the state government.