Internet ban thwarts relief aid to flood victims

13 Jul 2019

Thet Naing |  DMG

13 July, Sittwe

The Internet ban in some of Arakan State’s townships has affected the delivery of natural disaster relief during in rainy season.

U Sit Naing, Pyithu Hluttaw representative from Minbya Township, said that the Internet shutdown directly affected the villages in Minbya and other townships. The situations in these villages is not well known throughout other parts of the country in spite of the fact that these villages have been flooded due to the rise of water level in Lay Myo and Kaladan rivers.

 “The Internet ban has negatively impacted flooded areas. In the past we could easily report on the devastation through digital networks. For now, we have to contact people using just a mobile phone,” the lawmaker said.

“We cannot get and transmit information similar to 2015 when flooding occurred. I think we will have to tell to each individual how we provide aid and our travel itineraries by using only a mobile phone,” he said.

“The Internet cut-off really disrupts the aid process,” he added.

He also said that relief aid teams could not know in a timely fashion what items the flood victims need most.

Although information about natural disasters cannot be received in real time, the department of Disaster Management is trying to make contact with flood victims so the department can furnish aid.

“We are trying to make contact with people using mobile phones. If an affected area cannot be contact via phone, we send in our people to assess the situation in that area,” said U Ye Min Oo, staff officer of the Department of Disaster Management in Arakan State.

“Even if we can’t contact people by phone, we will use any means necessary to get relief aid to areas that need it.,” the officer said.

Some villages in Minbya Township have been flooded since 9 July. The flooding has affected some wards in town also.

However, Pyithu Hluttaw representative from Minbya Township U Sit Naing said that he did not see any aid from respective departments for the flood victims.

 “Currently, there is no official relief from the government. Even their fire-engines have been relocated to higher ground in the ward. We were not informed about any plan from the government to provide relief aid for flood victims,” he said.

Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Taunggup, Thandwe, Gwa and Rambree Townships in Arakan State are prone to flooding in every rainy season.

But, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myebon, Kyaukttaw, Ratehdaung, Ponnagyun, Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships in northern Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State have been cut-off from the Internet due to the ongoing regional instability.