Flood Forces Residents to Shelter in Relief Camp in Thandwe

Thandwe: Floods triggered by torrential rains in Thandwe in southeastern Arakan State in Burma have forced hundreds of residents in low-lying areas to take shelter in an emergency relief camp.

A resident from Thandwe said houses were submerged in flood waters after week-long heavy rains in their areas.

"The flood started to rise from nearby creeks last Friday after a week of continuous heavy rains in our area, and many houses nearby the creeks and low-lying areas were submerged in the flood water. People had to be rescued by engine boats," said the resident.


He said more than 500 people have been sheltering in the relief camp opened at the community religious hall situated at the bottom of San Daw Taung Hill, though some have returned to their homes today.

He added that schools, including the technical school, are still closed, and there have been no reports of deaths in the flood that hit areas hard for the past three days.

The source said that no government or other organization has so far reached the area to assess and aid the victims. The flood victims are currently surviving with the help of local well-wishers and are in need of emergency aid, including food and water.

"Most of the victims are poor day laborers and they are now facing a great difficulty because they can not go to work after being affected by the flood and torrential rainfall. They are just surviving in the camp on insufficient help by local well-wishers," he said.

The flood affected the whole town of Thandwe and is the worst flood since 2004. Most of the residents are now concerned that such a disaster will come again this year to their town.

A town elder said the deforestation and shallowness of the creeks around the town have caused the disastrous flood in their town.

"There are no forests around the town and on the mountains from where the creek originates, and the creek has become very shallow. Whenever the heavy rains fall, they trigger flash floods and submerge the whole town. The greedy, irrational, wood cutting by businessmen has caused the disaster we face today," said the elder.

He added that residents are now worried about the floods that typically submerge the town at least twice during the rainy season in recent years.

Source:http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2997