Flood victims in central Myanmar receive aid from donors

Yangon, July 22 (IANS) As devastating floods sweep through central Myanmar, thousands of affected residents are receiving badly needed aid, including food, clothing and shelter, from donors and rescuers.

The water level of the Ayeyarwady River in several towns in the Magway region has exceeded the warning marks in recent days, according to the country’s Meteorology and Hydrology Department, Xinhua news agency reported.

“I have experienced flooding in the past. But this year’s flooding saw the water level rise quicker than in previous years. Rescue teams are helping us move our belongings, and generous donors are providing us with clothes, food, and shelter,” said Hnin Nwe Soe, a resident of Magway township in the Magway region.

“I have three children. I didn’t want to risk their safety, so I moved to the road quickly before the situation became more serious,” Soe said, adding that she had not been to work because transportation had been difficult since the water level started rising.

Myat Mon, 35, another resident of Magway town, said this is the second time she had encountered flooding, the first being five years ago.

Mon, who currently stays in a temporary tent on the road with her family members, said she survived because of the food, clothes, and money provided by the donors.

“I cannot make money for a living because I cannot go to work. I feel sorrowful for this tragedy,” she added.

Arr Puu Tuu and his team, donors from Yangon who helped door-to-door in the flood-affected areas, said they are helping villages near the Ayeyarwady River in the Magway region by donating rice and drinking water.

Kyaw Gyi, a member of a rescue team in the Magway region, said, “The water started rising on July 12. During the flooding, I distributed food donated by the donors to the victims and went to the flooded areas with boats and helped in carrying things and constructing shelters for the victims.”

“Due to the rising water level of the Ayeyarwady River, over 3,000 acres of beans and pulses have been submerged, while over 800 cattle have died at our village in Thayet township. Nearly 200 households in the Thayet township in Magway have been evacuated,” said U. Mya Win, ward administrator of Thayet township in the Magway region.

“Additionally, there is a risk of cholera due to unclean water. We are facing a scarcity of drinking water because the wells in our village are underwater,” he said.

In Myanmar, July and August are in the middle of the rainy season, and heavy rains are typical during this period, the weather agency said.

–IANS

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