Arakan IDPs ask authorities to repair damaged homes ahead of rainy season

By DMG 10 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
10 May 2022, Kyauktaw 

A large portion of makeshift shelters in Arakan State’s camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) have been constructed of little more than tarpaulins and nipa palm leaves, with IDPs demanding that damaged homes in particular be repaired before the rainy season arrives in earnest. 

Many IDPs in Arakan State have been forced to flee their homes due to heavy rains in recent days, according to the affected displaced people. More than 800 IDPs sheltering at Wah Taung displacement camp in Kyauktaw Township are facing livelihood hardship due to heavy rains in recent days, said U Naing Tun Win, an IDP.  

“When it rained, the roofs of makeshift tents were leaking and we could not cook,” he told DMG. 

U Than Aye, manager of Nyaungchaung IDP camp, said the damaged homes needed to be repaired ahead of the rainy season.  

“We have a problem now, so it will be more difficult when the rainy season comes. We would like to urge the authorities to ensure that our homes are safe before the rainy season,” he said. 

Living in heavy-rain locales like Arakan State presents health concerns for children and the elderly especially, said Daw Ma Aung Myint, an IDP from Myo Oo Gaung displacement camp in Mrauk-U Township. 

“It rained last night and I could not sleep all night. The roof of the house was covered with tarpaulins, but it was still raining. It had been raining all day, and all my clothes and belongings were wet. For children and grandparents, it can be dangerous to get sick if it rains,” she told DMG. 

Strong winds destroyed hundreds of homes in Arakan State last month, and many of the damaged homes have yet to be repaired, according to the storm victims. 

“The local government has not forcibly repatriated the displaced people,” U Hla Thein, an information officer of the Arakan State military council, has said. “The Department of Social Welfare also provides food and shelter for the displaced people if they return home. The government has no plans to renovate buildings to accommodate the displaced people in the long run.”

A lack of attention to displaced civilians’ needs including food aid and inadequate housing remain challenges for IDPs, said U Tun Win, a former Arakan State lawmaker for Kyauktaw Township. 

“The displaced people are waiting to return home, hoping the government will build their homes. So far, the government has only repaired some homes. The displaced people are suffering from increased stress and anxiety due to the lack of food supplies. IDPs are finding it difficult to survive. The government needs to systematically address the plight of IDPs,” the ex-legislator added. 

There are still more than 60,000 people displaced by fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State who have not been able to return to their homes, according to figures compiled by the Rakhine Ethnics Congress (REC).