Several storm-hit villages in Kyauktaw Twsp in need of assistance

By Admin 20 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
20 June 2023, Kyauktaw

Local people along the upper reaches of Yoe Creek in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township are reportedly in need of assistance as relief items supplied by local and foreign organisations are not reaching the area.

Many homes in Mro ethnic villages such as Yoechaung, Kyeinchaung, Taungminkalar, Lamukaing and were destroyed by the cyclonic storm.

Although thousands of storm victims in the area received a few relief items from the military junta, they are reportedly in urgent need of assistance to repair their damaged homes and are facing livelihood hardships.

“The junta provided all residents in the village with six pyi of rice, some instant noodles and cooking oil one week after the cyclonic storm hit Arakan State. Since then, no local and foreign relief groups have come to the village,” said U Thein Tun, a local man from Taungminkalar Village.

Almost all homes in Taungminkalar Village with about 600 people from 130 households were destroyed by the cyclonic storm, and locals are facing accommodation difficulties as they have yet to repair their damaged homes.

Villages in the upper reaches of Yoe Creek can only be reached by water route, and the storm victims are receiving little assistance due to transportation barriers, according to local residents.

Storm victims in Lamukaing Village with over 300 people with 63 households are in urgent need of assistance as they’ve not received enough aid from the regime government.

“We received some rice, instant noodles and roofing sheets from the junta. We are in need of emergency assistance and we are unable to repair our home’s roofs damaged by the storm,” said U Maung Zan Win, a local man from Lamukaing Village. 

Almost all the homes and latrines in Lamukaing Village were destroyed by the cyclonic storm, and there are a lot of mosquitoes and malaria cases due to the unsanitary environment, and there is an urgent need for mosquito nets, say locals.

Locals in Ngaswel Village, part of Kyauktaw Township, are facing livelihood hardships as their homes were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha.

“The junta provided all local residents in the village with only two bags of rice and 10 roofing sheets in May. All homes in the village were destroyed by the storm and some people are still unable to repair their damaged homes,” said Daw Hla Khin Win, a local woman from Ngaswel Village.

There are about 150 people from 30 households in Ngaswel Village. The cyclonic storm destroyed all homes, the village monastery and school and most villagers are unable to rebuild new homes.

People in storm-hit rural areas are facing financial difficulties to repair their homes and are in urgent need of shelters, food, drinking water and medicine.

About 30 percent of the victims of Cyclone Mocha in Arakan State have received relief items from international organisations, civil society organisations and donors, but around 70 percent are still in need of emergency assistance, the Arakan Army said on Wednesday via the Cyclone Mocha Emergency Rescue and Rehabilitation for Arakan (Cyclone Mocha ERRA).