Pregnant women and lactating mothers from the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp are facing accommodation difficulties as the temporary homes damaged by the “Mocha” cyclone have not yet been repaired.
As the shelter is not good, the pregnant women are moving from place to place when it rains, said Daw Aye Aye Than, a pregnant woman from the IDP camp in Shwe Parami monastery in Rathedaung.
“House has been repaired. But it has no durability. Rain water is leaking into the house due to strong winds. The houses damaged by the Mocha cyclone cannot be repaired properly, so it is very difficult to accommodate,” said Daw Aye Aye Than.
There are 27 IDP camps and over 17,000 populations in Rathedaung Township. Among them are more than 250 pregnant women and lactating mothers, said officials of the IDP camp.
It’s been more than a month since the storm, but there is still very little aid available. Refugees said that they are facing financial difficulties in order to repair their damaged homes on a self-reliant basis, the IDPs said.
Pregnant women and lactating mothers are worried that their health will be affected by the rain due to their shelters.
“Now there is no place to sleep due to heavy rains. If it rains here, I have to move to another place and sit. The rain water is very cold, so my body is always wet, and I worry that I will be sick, said Daw San San Kyaw, the mother of a newborn child from the Nyaungchaung IDP camp.
There are 135 pregnant women and lactating mothers in the Nyaungchaung IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township. The houses have not been repaired properly, according to the IDPs and camp officials.
Although pregnant women should eat nutritious foods and live under good health care, they are being deprived of those rights, said those helping refugees.
Some of the food provided by donors has also been used to repair their homes. Displaced pregnant women and lactating mothers cannot eat nutritious foods.
“I should be living in a warm place as I am heavily pregnant. But now I’m not living like that. Another thing is that pregnant women cannot buy and eat the nutrients they need. They are facing difficulties on the other side,” said Daw Ma Aye Khin from Taungminkalar IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township.
Pregnant and lactating women are in urgent need of safe shelter during the rainy season.
U Kyaw Mya Chay, an in-charge of Tain Nyo IDP camp said: “I want to repair their houses as soon as possible. If there is a strong wind during the rainy season, the houses may collapse again. We have to get through this rainy season.”
On 14 May, the Mocha cyclone destroyed many houses and buildings and affected more than 1,020,000 in Arakan State.
It has been more than a month since the storm hit, but the cyclone-affected people are still in need of food and health care. They also face many difficulties in reconstruction.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)