National Disaster Management Committee holds 2/2024 meeting

CHAIRMAN of the National Dis­aster Management Committee State Administration Council Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win yesterday presided over the 2/2024 meeting of the committee in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Senior General noted that Typhoon Yagi triggered the flash floods and colossal deluge in Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar’s Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, and some re­gions and states were seriously inundated. The management committee and relevant region/ state management committees provide the needed assistance to the flood victims in a timely manner, and the standing order of the National Disaster Man­agement Committee also states that the relevant region and state can carry out management by organizing teams.

He continued that there are two disaster response scenarios: the relevant state and region nat­ural disaster management com­mittees conducted with their own plans while floods occurred in Kachin State, Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago and Ayeyawady regions in early this monsoon. Such action is Scenario 1, and Scenario 2 is a Union-level operational model. At the same time, there is a wors­ening impact of threats, limita­tions in resources and responses by relevant states and regions, and under circumstances where greater effectiveness is achieved only through collaborative ac­tions across the areas.

He then highlighted the re­cord-hit heavy rainfalls brought by Typhoon Yagi that caused floods in the country, especially in Tatkon of Nay Pyi Taw.

He added that the Scenario-2 operation was conducted in the country. The Disaster Manage­ment Centre was established on 12 September, the vice-chairs-led DMC meeting was held on 13 September, and the emergency DMC meeting was initiated on 14 September to launch disaster management measures.

The relevant organizations and officials provided recuse work in flood-affected areas. According to the 15 September report, the death rates in 69 townships of seven regions and states showed that there were 47 deaths in Nay Pyi Taw, five in Kayin State, 76 in Mandalay Region, 43 in Shan State and one in Ayeyawady Region. Therefore, it needs to release information re­garding the damages and death rate. A total of 388 relief camps were opened in nine regions and states, and the well-wishers do­nated drinking water, food and clothes.

He also mentioned the in­spection tour of the SAC Chair­man in flood-affected areas start­ing from 12 September.

He instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irriga­tion to release notices regarding the dams and continued that the villagers residing in risk areas were evacuated to safe locations in advance, and so the locals from the Sittoung River basin in Bago River were evacuated.

He then stressed the need to take proper measures for ac­cess to clean water and food, re­opening of departmental offices, schools and hospitals, systematic allocation of cash donations and materials, and talked about the transportation of five basic food­stuffs and drinking water to the flooded areas in far-flung places by the government.

He instructed all to apply the experiences of the Natural Dis­aster Management Committee and form the needed commit­tees, as 12 work committees were organized during the MOCHA outbreak.

He continued that the coun­try received international assis­tance with strings, and some hu­manitarian aid from ASEAN will also be received soon. Moreover, the In-Country Liaison Team – ICLT of the AHA Centre will also assist in releasing natural dis­aster information and receiving international assistance.

Participants then coordi­nated the discussion, and the Vice-Senior General concluded the meeting.

Due to Typhoon Yagi, flash floods and landslides occurred in Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, re­gions and states except Kachin State, Taninthayi Region and Rakhine State from 9 to 15 Sep­tember. The damages and death rate from 69 townships until 15 September were 1,083 houses, 146 office buildings, 1,023 schools, 382 religion schools, 177 roads and bridges, 963 lamp posts, 82 telecom towers, while 172 deaths and 38 missing. A total of 105,388 animals were perished in the floods. — MNA/KTZH