Storm victims in remote Ponnagyun Twsp area receive little aid

By Admin 30 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
30 June 2023, Ponnagyun

Local people in Tawphyarchaung, a remote area in Arakan State’s Ponnagyun Township, are reportedly facing difficulties as relief items supplied by the junta and local organisations are not reaching the area, locals said.

The junta and local charities are finding it difficult to reach several storm-ravaged villages in the Tawphyarchaung area.

All the homes in Hsinthel Village, which has 520 households, were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha, and the poor especially are struggling to make ends meet, said Ko Kyaw Kyaw, a local man.

“A charity visited the village to provide tarpaulin sheets to locals. Since then, no organisation has come to our village. I think charities are unable to come to our village due to travel difficulties. Many locals are struggling to make ends meet,” he added.

There are many villages in the Tawphyarchaung area that do not receive relief items from the junta and social organisations due to poor mobile phone and internet access, and travel difficulties, locals said.

“We received a bit of rice donated by two charities. There are many villages that do not receive relief items from the junta and social organisations. Some storm victims received relief supplies, but some didn’t,” said U Zaw Lin Oo, a resident of Meldarma Village.

Rural residents say that going to Ponnagyun town to buy construction materials to rebuild their homes is inconvenient as there are inspections at junta checkpoints along the Ponnagyun-Rathedaung road.

“We need permission from the respective ward and village administrators for travelling. We are checked by junta soldiers and police personnel at security checkpoints along the road. We dare not buy construction materials as much as we want,” said a local.

Locals in the Tawphyarchaung area grow betel leaves, pepper and djenkol beans on a commercial scale, and they are facing difficulties in recultivating their damaged crops as 90 percent of farmlands were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha.

“Betel leaf and pepper farms were destroyed by the cyclonic storm. We are facing difficulties resuming our business. All people are in trouble, so we don’t want to borrow money from others. We are facing various hardships,” said U Thaung Sein Tun, a resident of Parpway Village.

Myanmar’s military regime has imposed a travel ban on local and international nongovernmental organisations and civil society organisations providing humanitarian assistance to victims of Cyclone Mocha in Arakan State since June 8.