Ramshackle IDP shelters in Arakan State at risk of storm damage

By DMG 24 May 2021

24 May 2021, Ponnagyun

Many temporary shelters at IDP camps in Arakan State have been made of bamboo and similarly flimsy timber, prompting concerns over the accommodation of the internally displaced people (IDPs) amid a wet and windy weather pattern in the region, according to IDP camp managers.

U Phyu Thar Aung, camp manager of Ah Htet Myat Hlae IDP camp in Ponnagyun Township, said IDPs from their camp have faced shelter shortcomings and are residing at temporary shelters built in previous years. These ramshackle shelters might be destroyed by possible storms, he added.

“We’re already worried over the accommodation of IDPs during monsoon season. If a storm comes, all rickety shelters at our camp might be destroyed. And, we don’t have enough bamboo and logs to repair these shelters before the storm. So, we have to see them as they are. Although we repaired them using tarpaulin sheets last year, it doesn’t work in the monsoon season. The shelters are made of bamboo. Some are made of small logs,” said U Phyu Thar Aung.

Moreover, more than 3,400 people from over 800 households are residing at the Nyaung Chaung IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township, and as the temporary shelters at the camp were built in 2019, these shelters are old now and cannot resist harsh weather, said camp manager U Khaing Myo Aung.

“Our IDP camp is at risk of being destroyed by the storm because the structure of the shelters is not strong. As these shelters were built just for temporary use, the bamboo used in them is no longer in good condition. All might be destroyed during a strong wind. This camp was built in 2019, so all the bamboo and logs are old. I think if we can rebuild them, they might stand strong wind and heavy rain to some extent; however, in the current situation they will not,” said U Khaing Myo Aung.

The depression over east central Bay of Bengal is moving toward the west-northwest of the bay and has intensified into a deep depression, according to a statement issued by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology on May 24.

As the old shelters at the IDP camps are not strong and cannot be rebuilt before the storm, people are worrying that they will face accommodation difficulties.

There were more than 200,000 IDPs in Arakan State at the peak of the conflict between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army (AA) over the last two years, with some having returned to their homes since a cessation of hostilities in November 2020. Currently, more than 100,000 IDPs are sheltering at displacement camps.