Construction materials are still needed to repair homes in the most damaged townships as cyclone victims in Chin State have not fully received assistance three months after the Cyclone Mocha.
Salai Min Nyo, a member of the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC) in Chin State, said that it is more difficult for the cyclone-affected people to get help due to the military council’s restrictions on access to the area.
“The major difficulty is funding. There are restrictions on the delivery of aid by the NGOs through the military council. Due to the difficulty of easy access by humanitarian organizations and the lack of freedom of movement, we have a lot of difficulties. Since it is not a normal period, the revolutionary government is also currently having difficulty in distributing the support in terms of funding difficulties,” Salai Min Nyo said.
On 14 May, the cyclone Mocha hit eight townships in Chin State apart from Tonzang Township, and destroyed 3,338 buildings—2,774 houses, 185 schools, 102 religious buildings, 12 health facilities, 295 rice barns and six halls and other buildings, according to the statement by the ICNCC.
Matupi Township suffered the most damage from the cyclone Mocha. The repairing and reconstruction of the houses and IDP camps in the remaining townships and villages are being carried out on a self-reliant basis. Currently, construction materials are still needed.
Daw Hla May, a member of Matupi Township Public Administrative Body and Rescue Association said: “We can’t cut bamboo as this is the rainy season. We can’t buy steels and CI sheets as the people are not allowed to go to the city. So, they have to live in small bamboo huts. It is quite difficult that even the social organizations cannot come in to help the IDPs. There are many people whose barns have been damaged, so their livelihood is difficult. The people in the village have to share rice with others. It is difficult for them to get edible oil, salt and fish paste.”
Until now, the cyclone victims are taking refuge in monasteries and schools which experienced little damage. They are in need of construction materials including nails, CI sheets, poles and bamboo to repair their damaged houses.
In order to support the people affected by the cyclone “Mocha” in Chin State, the Central Humanitarian Management Department of National Unity Government (NUG) and the Interim Chin National Consultative Council provided financial assistance to purchase emergency food and shelters for the damaged residential houses in nine townships of Chin State, said a person in charge of Kanpetlet Township IDP camp.
Kanpetlet Township in Chin State has difficult transportation. It is more difficult than before due to road damages, landslides and phone blackouts caused by the cyclone Mocha. They get little help, he added.
In some villages, the houses were completely destroyed. They have no house to live in. So, they have to repair the existing ones with the help of the community. The IDP camps that were badly damaged have been repaired, he said.
On 7 July, the military council provided a cash assistance of MMK-372,824 million for the reconstruction of the houses and buildings destroyed by the cyclone in Hakha, Falam, Tedim, Paletwa, Mindat and Matupi Townships in Chin state, according to the military-run newspaper.
Sent by KMG