Sittwe residents yet to receive relief supplies

By Admin 25 May 2023

DMG Newsroom
25 May 2023, Sittwe

Relief aid supplied by the international community for people affected by Cyclone Mocha has arrived in Arakan State, but residents of Sittwe, the state’s capital, have yet to receive supplies.

“We heard the international community has supplied relief supplies, but they haven’t reached us yet.  So far we only received some rice and cooking oil from authorities which we got yesterday,” said U Kyaw Win of Magyimyaing ward in Sittwe.

The regime has received around 20 tons of tents, mosquito nets, instant noodles and other necessities donated by Thailand. Relief supplies weighing 15,550 kilograms and worth US$ 60,000 donated by fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian countries arrived on May 22.

India has also donated 24 tons of energy biscuits, canned fish, tents, tarpaulin sheets, medicine and other necessities through the regime.

“We have not yet received any relief supplies donated by the international community. We are left alone to struggle on our own. I sold snacks before. My husband died during the storm. I don’t know what to do to earn a living,” said a Muslim woman from Bumay Village in Sittwe.

Sources close to Sittwe Township general administration department said authorities have already started to distribute relief supplies, but they have not yet reached storm victims in certain places due to various difficulties.

 A source told DMG: “We have so far distributed 9,000 sacks of rice to 33 wards and five villages. We will supply other villages when more supplies come. Those rice sacks were donated by the international community including India. We have also received nearly 30,000 corrugated roofing sheets. We will give priority to schools and monasteries in distributing those sheets.”

The cyclone inflicted the most serious damage to Sittwe, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw and Pauktaw townships in Arakan State, according to local residents and civil society organizations.

According to the Arakan State Administration Council, 148 people were killed and 1.1 million people were affected by the cyclone. The cyclone also killed 27,617 farm animals. A total of 241,071 buildings were destroyed or damaged, and the financial loss totaled 4.8 billion kyats.