Aid must be provided to flood victims facing loss of life, limbs, and homes

Although nobody can avoid natural disasters, they can strive to mitigate the impacts of disasters as much as possible and emphasize rapid rehabilitation.

SENIOR General Min Aung Hlaing highlighted that it is necessary to take lessons from damage to bridg­es in flooding triggered by heavy rains to build bridges with resilience to momen­tum of water flow systematically.

Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior Gener­al Min Aung Hlaing delivered a speech at the National Disaster Management Committee meeting at the Office of the SAC Chairman in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General recounted that Typhoon Yagi and a deep depression from the Bay of Bengal caused heavy rains in some townships of Shan State (South), Nay Pyi Taw Coun­cil Area and other regions and states recently.

He noted that although weather warnings were issued, its forecast did not focus on unprecedented heavy rains in a short time.

The Senior General underscored that the disaster-ravaged regions had not experienced such severe conditions within 50 years. These regions suffered unprecedented loss and damage in heavy rains and flash floods at night.

He spotted that although nobody can avoid natural disasters, they can strive to mitigate the impacts of disasters as much as possible and emphasize rapid rehabilitation. The recent incident might be the worst loss in central Myanmar in history. As such, it is necessary to take lessons from the event and address many issues, he added.

He gave guidance that fore­casts and warnings on natural disasters must be easily under­standable for the general public so as to follow their advice.

He retold that this year, it rained heavily in the country for the whole monsoon period. These rainfalls cause humidity in the soil. The impacts of a recent typhoon caused heavy rains and flash flooding, con­sequently causing landslides, he added.

The Senior General com­mented that floating timber logs stockpiled in the rafts caused more damage and loss in flood­ing.

As such, the Senior General highlighted that it is necessary to take lessons from damage of bridges in flooding brought about by heavy rains and to build bridg­es with resilience to momentum of water flow systematically.

The Senior General ex­plained that silting in rivers and creeks raises their bed levels, easily causing overflow of wa­ter and flooding.

He pointed out that gold panning and gemstone mining along Ayeyawady, Chindwin, and Thanlwin rivers lead to silting on the riverbed. Hence, it is nec­essary to dredge silt in parts of rivers and creeks.

He stressed the need to carry out maintenance of roads and bridges, as well as water outlet channels of dams and drains, without fail yearly.

With regard to rehabili­tation, the Senior General noted that it is necessary to provide aid for families of the dead and injured and those who lost houses. A large num­ber of houses were lost in the flooding, and rehabilitation measures must be taken for the people who faced losses in the incident.

He emphasized that cur­rently, priority must be given to the reopening of roads and bridg­es so as not to interrupt public transport and commodity flow.

The Senior General dis­closed that a total of 226 people were dead, 47 injured, and 77 are still missing, with 12 persons floating in Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, Kayah, Mon, Shan and Ka­yin states, Bago, Magway, Man­dalay and Ayeyawady regions.

He added that a total of 1,915 houses were totally dam­aged and 201 partially damaged. A total of 158,343 homes were flooded. A total of 163,573 people are accommodated at the relief camps, and 234,535 people are staying at the houses of their relatives.

The Senior General un­derscored that the natural di­saster triggered by the recent typhoon was a great lesson for Myanmar. Hence, all rel­evant ministries, region and state governments, Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air) and all military commands have to harmoniously carry out res­cue, relief and rehabilitation tasks, he noted.

He instructed that crops in the damaged fields need to be systematically grown again. Arrangements must be made to provide agricultural cash as­sistance and loans to farmers for regrowing the crops.

The Senior General also said that it is necessary to cat­egorize prioritized levels de­pending on volumes of loss and waste in rescue and relief mea­sures, and all measures must be taken within six months.

He stressed that all reports must be compiled as check­lists for the progress of work, remaining processes must be scrutinized continuously, and officials need to check work progress and report back.

Chairman of the National Disaster Management Commit­tee SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior Gen­eral Soe Win explained occur­rences of natural disasters in nine regions and states, damage of roads and bridges, including dams, broadcasting of such an event to the people in time, un­dertaking of rescue and relief measures at disaster-affected areas, distribution of relief aid to flood-stricken people, healthcare services and rehabilitation tasks being undertaken in water-ebbed areas.

The Vice-Chair 1 and Vice- Chair 2 of the management com­mittee and officials reported the opening of relief camps for the flood-affected people, progress of rescue, relief and rehabil­itation measures, distribution of relief aid and materials for reconstruction to affected ar­eas, supply of electricity and safe water for the people, and releasing the weather forecast to the people in time, regrow­ing of crops, repairs of damaged roads and railways, running of flights, arrivals of humanitarian aid from AHA Centre and from India, donations to flood-affect­ed monasteries and nunneries, reopening of schools in the flood-ebbed areas. — MNA/TTA