Dozens of IDP shelters in three Arakan State townships damaged by strong winds

By Admin 21 Mar 2023

DMG Newsroom
21 March 2023, Kyauktaw

Dozens of homes in five camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun and Rathedaung townships were damaged by strong winds on the evening of March 20, according to displacement camp officials.

Eighty-three homes — six from Ceditaung IDP camp and 55 from Pyar Chaung Gyi IDP camp in Rathedaung; one in Kaviyadana IDP camp in Kyauktaw; as well as five from Ganantaung IDP camp and 14 from an IDP camp near the railway station in Ponnagyun — were damaged by the winds.

Financial assistance is needed to rebuild the damaged homes, whose roofs have been blown off, have had support poles broken, or have been left leaning and are no longer livable, said U Saw Win Shwe, manager of the Ceditaung displacement camp in Rathedaung Township.

“Homes swayed due to the strong winds. Yesterday, all the IDPs had to live in the rain. If even a little rain is such a problem, if it rains a lot more, the IDPs may have more problems,” he added.

Most of the damaged homes were built of nipa palm leaves, bamboo and timber. The IDPs said that their homes had been built more than four years ago, so they easily collapsed under the force of Monday’s strong winds.

“Some homes were destroyed by the gusty winds. The homes had been standing for more than four years. We are now taking refuge at a monastery,” said U Nyo Zan Aung, an IDP from Pyar Chaung Gyi displacement camp in Rathedaung Township.

IDPs are struggling to repair their damaged homes due to lack of food and jobs, said U Kyaw Naing, an IDP from the Ganantaung displacement camp in Ponnagyun Township.

“Our home’s roofs were damaged by the strong winds. We cannot buy construction materials for the time being. We currently need tarpaulins to repair our homes,” he added.

DMG phoned U Hla Thein, spokesperson for the Arakan State military council, and U Than Tun, Arakan State Minister of Natural Resources, to find out what arrangements were being made for the IDPs whose homes were destroyed, but they could not be reached.

Some 900 shelters at IDP camps were damaged or destroyed by strong winds in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw and Minbya townships in April 2022.

Despite the latest ceasefire between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA), thousands of IDPs displaced by past fighting between the two sides have been unable to return to their homes due to various reasons.

Many of those displaced people have been facing difficulties such as food insecurity and lack of access to healthcare and education, as well as the risk of natural disasters.