Deputy Minister says government provides enough assistance to Arakan’s IDPs

08 Aug 2019

Win Nyunt | DMG

August 8, Sittwe

The government has provided adequate assistance to the increasing number of IDPs in northern Arakan State, said Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U SoeAung.

He made the comment in response to a question from U Pe Than, a Pyithu Hluttaw member for Myebon, who asked during a parliament session on August 8 whether assistance from the government was enough.

“I would like to say that the government can provide enough assistance,” U SoeAung said, adding that they were building seven camps for IDPs using MMK 1 billion from the Arakan State government and MMK 617.5 million from the National Disaster Management Fund. 

U PeThan also asked how the government would help IDPs across Arakan State.

“We don’t know when the war will end, it seems now that peace looms in the distance. During this situation, we all would like to know how the government would help IDPs,” U Pe Than said. 

He said only the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have governmental permission to provide assistance to IDPs. All government departments have been instructed not to collect donation money, he said, and CSOs have been told they can only collect donations with a permit from the authorities. 

However, the deputy minister said that the government would not object to support from social organizations.

“The government doesn’t object to support from social organizations and is accepting assistance. The restrictions are because of security,” he said. 

Members of two social organizations have been charged and fined in Sittwe for collecting donations for IDPs without a permit.