Myanmar Rice Federation donates nearly K70 million to storm victims in Arakan State 

By Admin 14 Aug 2023

DMG Newsroom
14 August 2023, Sittwe

The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) has reportedly donated K69.3 million to storm victims in Arakan State through the Arakan State Rice Millers Association.

The MRF transferred the cash assistance to the Arakan State Rice Millers Association on August 12, for distribution to storm victims in need in Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Pauktaw townships.

“We received K74.3 million of cash donations including K72.8 million from the MRF. Of that, K5 million was donated to the Arakan State government and the remainder will be donated to thousands of storm victims in six Arakan State townships,” said U Zaw Thant Aung, spokesman for the Arakan State Rice Millers Association.

K29.3 million will be donated to storm victims in Rathedaung; K12 million to Sittwe; K10 million to Ponnagyun; K6 million to Kyauktaw; K5 million to Mrauk-U; and K6 million to Pauktaw, according to the Arakan State Rice Millers Association.

“We will make field trips to rural villages to donate cash assistance to the poor at the rate of K50,000 per person,” said U Tun Mya, in-charge of the Arakan State Rice Millers Association’s Rathedaung branch.

Three months after Cyclone Mocha made landfall over Arakan State, local people still need relief supplies including basic foodstuffs and medicine. Many storm victims in the state are still in need of emergency assistance and face a host of challenges on the road to recovery.

“Three months after the storm, storm victims are living in makeshift tents built of tarpaulin sheets. Storm victims have received little relief aid,” said Daw Nu Nu Yi, a local woman from Thayetpyan Village in Rathedaung Township.

Cyclone Mocha, which barreled into the Arakan coast with destructive force on May 14, destroyed about 300,000 homes in northern Arakan State, affecting more than 1.5 million people.

While only around 20 percent of storm victims have received assistance, the regime has imposed travel restrictions on international organisations helping storm victims, as well as on the delivery and distribution of relief supplies, according to a July 21 report from the Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar).