Arakan State residents still struggling to recover from Cyclone Mocha

By Admin 14 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
14 May 2024, Sittwe

Many residents in Arakan State have yet to recover one year after the cyclonic storm Mocha hit Arakan State on May 14 of last year.

One resident in Pauktaw Township said: “It has been one year since Mocha hit us, but I still can't rebuild my house [that was destroyed by the cyclone]. I am still living in a makeshift tent because commodity prices are high. And we are suffering from the fighting.”

The storm primarily affected Sittwe, Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Mimbya, Myebon and Ramree townships, causing massive destruction.

According to the junta’s data, 182,598 houses, 300 office buildings, 1,352 schools, 220 healthcare facilities, and 1,702 religious buildings were destroyed or damaged across the 17 townships of Arakan State. The cyclone killed 145 people.

Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing visited Sittwe twice after the cyclone, telling authorities to provide what was needed for rehabilitation.

However, storm victims to date have only received low-quality rice, some tarpaulin sheets, cooking oil, instant noodles and old roofing sheets.

“All we got from the military council is 10 holey roofing sheets. So, we couldn’t rebuild our houses. We could only make makeshift tents with tarpaulin sheets, and we still have to live in those tents after one year. The military council provided relief supplies for show,” said a resident of Rathedaung Township.

The difficulties facing storm victims were compounded by the renewed fighting between the regime and the Arakkha Army (AA) that broke out in November of last year, about six months after the cyclone made landfall.