Another round of COVID-19 relief payments going to poor families in Arakan

By Myo Thiri Kyaw 14 Nov 2020

Myo Thiri Kyaw | DMG
14 November 2020, Sittwe

The government is providing another round of K40,000 ($31) disbursements to more than 300,000 low-income families in Arakan State as part of its COVID-19 relief efforts, according to the state government.

The funding began going out to qualifying families on November 13, in recognition that government stay-at-home restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 are taking a toll on livelihoods in Arakan State, where an outbreak of the virus that began in mid-August is not yet under control.

The intention in providing the cash assistance is to make people’s lives easier at a time when pandemic-induced lockdowns have hurt local economies, said U Win Myint, the spokesperson for the Arakan State government.

“It is for all poor families in the whole of Arakan State; to all those whom the government has designated as poor,” he said.

“Currently, K4.8 million for 120 families from Ye Nwe Su ward and K50.28 million for 1,257 families from Mingan ward in Sittwe Township have been provided for,” according to a write-up on the Leader Facebook page, which has been regularly posting news of the government’s activities in Arakan State.

Township management committees will continue to distribute K40,000 each to a total of 303,063 families in Arakan State under the supervision of district management committees.

U Zaw Zaw, a resident of Mingan ward, said he wanted to ensure that all of the government’s cash assistance reached those families who have no regular income.

“So far, we haven’t got it. In the past, we didn’t get the funding from the government fully. So, this time we want to get it in full. The K40,000 is for about one week’s [expenses] for poor families,” he said.

Previous months’ cash assistance disbursements have brought disputes between ward/village administrators and local residents in Arakan State and elsewhere in Myanmar, with some claiming low-income eligibility but getting no money at all, and others receiving only partial payments.