Arakan State’s disaster area status extended two more months

By Admin 15 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
15 July 2023, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime on Saturday extended its declaration of Arakan State as a natural disaster area until September 15.

The regime first declared Arakan State as a natural disaster area on May 15, one day after Cyclone Mocha hit the state.

Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing during his latest visit to Arakan State this week said he was satisfied with the progress of relief efforts over the past two months.

Local people, however, said relief supplies are barely reaching rural areas.

Former Arakanese politician U Khaing Kaung San said the regime should allow international organisations to provide assistance freely.

“When Arakan State was hit by the Giri storm in 2010, some of the storm victims continued to receive food supplies from international organisations more than three months after the storm,” he said. “There is a need to provide similar support for victims of Cyclone Mocha. But many storm victims have not even received emergency relief supplies. Authorities and local civil society organisations only provide little support, and we need the aid of international organisations.”

International humanitarian organisations should also urge the regime to relax restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid, he added.

The regime said it has given priority to the education sector in rehabilitation efforts, though schools in some rural areas are not yet repaired since schools were opened on June 1.

Many storm victims are going hungry, and need food supplies from international agencies.

Ko Aung Min Soe, a social activist in Rathedaung Township, said the regime is doing little to help storm victims in Arakan State.

“Suppose a village has 80 households. The regime only provides supplies for a little more than 10 households. About food supplies, only several cans of rice are provided for a household,” he said.

DMG was unable to obtain comment from Arakan State Administration Council spokesman U Hla Thein on whether the regime would allow international aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance over the next two months, when it would need to decide whether to extend its natural disaster area declaration on September 15.

More than 1.5 million people were affected by Cyclone Mocha, and more than 24,000 buildings were damaged. At least 148 people and over 27,000 farm animals died in the storm. The financial loss totalled over 4.8 billion kyats, according to the Arakan State Administration Council.