IDPs receive relief aid from regional departments and other groups

By Khaing Roe La 05 Apr 2019

Khaing Roe La/ DMG

April 5, Sittwe

The Rakhine State government has instructed its departments to provide relief aid for IDPs who have been displaced from clashes between the Tatmadaw and AA under its permission, according to the Rakhine State Education Head office.

The directive was ordered to ensure that relief supplies would be received by the right people, and the government has been sending relief to IDPs in a timely manner while the UN, INGOs and CSOs have been allowed to provide humanitarian aid.

The State education office has circulated the instructions to district and township education offices to convey the state cabinet’s directives to all basic education schools.

People from government departments have been collecting money and have arranged their own plan to provide relief for IDPs, but the government wants required supplies to reach IDPs and not similar aid items, according to an official from education department.

“The State relief teams have been arranging for required supplies for refugee camps. And, there are relief teams for each township. They know which refugee camp need what supplies and items. The State government issued the directives to let the cabinet know first before disbursing relief aid because it wanted to prevent providing similar supplies for IDPs,” U Aung Than Myint, head of Rakhine State Education Department.

However, a teacher for middle school education in Myebon Township said that the process of asking permission could lead to delays delivering aid for IDPs.

“I think, it would be enough if we inform the township education office to furnish supplies to IDPs. If we need to inform the general administration office, it will take more time. We’d like to deliver required supplies through the education department,” the teacher said.

The state government has also restricted access for international organizations in order to provide humanitarian apart from the ICRC and WFP, there’s also a travel ban to five affected townships in Rakhine State.

The ongoing conflict in the Rakhine State has displaced nearly 30,000 people and they are now in dire need of food and shelter.