Storm destroyed over 18,000 homes in Mrauk-U Twsp: GAD

By Admin 21 May 2023

DMG Newsroom
21 May 2023, Mrauk-U

At least 18,000 homes from 115 villages in Mrauk-U Township, Arakan State, were damaged or destroyed last week by Cyclone Mocha, said an official from the township General Administration Department office.

Of that total, more than 9,000 homes were completely destroyed, and some 400 cattle were killed by the cyclonic storm.

About 700 rice bags and 450 viss of cooking oil were provided to storm victims from 18 villages, U Soe Thet, the township administrator, told DMG.

“We provided storm victims with rice and cooking oil as much as we could. We will supply the storm victims with relief items soon,” the township administrator added.

Many of those whose homes were destroyed by the storm are unable to repair their homes and are currently taking shelter at monasteries and schools, while some storm victims  have set up makeshift tents near their damaged homes.

“As we are the grassroots, we cannot afford to rebuild our homes. We built makeshift tents near the homes damaged by the storm,” said Ma Nwe Nwe Win, a resident of Chaungnar Village in Mrauk-U Township. 

Commodity prices, meanwhile, are skyrocketing in post-cyclone Arakan State. The prices of construction materials such as timber and cement are also higher than normal, and people affected by the storm are having more difficulty rebuilding their homes as a result.

The price for 100 nipa palm leaves was K3,500 in rural areas in the past, but the price has risen to K10,000 since the cyclone. 

Daw Khin Aye Phyu, a resident of Kalaka Village in Mrauk-U Township, said storm victims are currently taking refuge at the local monastery as they cannot afford nipa palm leaves at their current prices.

“We are facing various difficulties as we have no place to live, nor food,” she said.

Storm victims in Arakan State are in need of food, medicine, shelters and clean drinking water. Due to storm surges, many lakes in rural areas were contaminated by saltwater.

“At the moment, we are using the water from a lake that was not damaged by the saltwater. We are planning to repair the lake [that was contaminated] by pumping it out with a water pump,” said U Hla Tha Tun, an administrator of Kinseik Village.

Hundreds of people in Arakan State have been reported dead or injured, thousands of cattle were killed, and hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed by the cyclonic storm.

A total of 1,156,796 people were affected by the cyclone and accompanying flooding in Arakan State, with financial losses totalling nearly K4.7 billion, the junta’s Arakan State Administration Council said on Friday.