Flood victims complain of little assistance from junta

By Admin 18 Aug 2023

DMG Newsroom
18 August 2023, Sittwe

Flood victims in Arakan State say they have barely received any help more than 10 days after they were hit by floods.

More than 500,000 acres of paddy fields were flooded in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Ponnagyun Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, and over 7,000 people needed to be evacuated.

Myanmar’s military regime, the Arakan Army and some charities provided some rice supplies in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Minbya townships, which were hit hardest by the floods. But residents say those supplies are not enough. 

In Pyaing Chaung Village, in Kyauktaw Township, some 300 people from 70 households needed to be evacuated. 

“We haven’t received any assistance yet in the aftermath of the flooding,” said Pyaing Chaung village administrator U Tun Kyaing Maung.

Several other villages in Kyauktaw including Thayet Tapin, Kyauk Talone and Sapar Seik have also yet to receive relief supplies. 

U Yet Thae, from Nyaungchaung village, said: “We haven’t received any assistance from the government. Villagers are going hungry as their rice got wet in the floods.”

The regime has supplied six cans of rice per head for some villages in Minbya. U Nyo Maung Thein, administrator of Shwe Kyin village, said: “They have only provided six cans of rice once.”

Some flood victims have been forced to sell their belongings to buy food and repair their houses. Meanwhile, poor households have had to borrow money.

Residents in Arakan State face many challenges on the road to rehabilitation after they were hit by twin disasters in recent months.

Nearly 290,000 houses were destroyed or damaged in Arakan State by Cyclone Mocha, which hit the coastal state on May 14. Around 1.5 million people were affected by the cyclone, and the more recent floods came as many were still struggling to recover from the storm.

Locals have complained that the regime has provided little help for residents who have suffered through both violent storms and floods.

Arakan State military council spokesman U Hla Thein said the social welfare, relief and resettlement department is helping flood victims.

“One week of rice is supplied in places where locals are evacuated under government evacuation plans,” said U Hla Thein.

Apart from food and drinking water, locals also need rice seeds and plants to regrow their farms damaged by floods.

According to the Arakan Army, 28,072 houses were flooded in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myebon, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Taungup and Thandwe townships. Six people and 139 farm animals were killed, and dozens of drinking water lakes, three bridges and five embankments were damaged.