August 11, 2020

Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye visited IDP camps in An Township in the Rakhine State, and provided cash assistance for the IDPs yesterday morning.

The Union Minister Dr Win Myat Aye, accompanied by Deputy Minister U Soe Aung, the Director General of the Department of Disaster Management, and top officials of the Rakhine State government, visited the IDP Camp 1 at the Township Indoor Stadium and the IDP Camp 2 at Pae Padon in the township, and said words of comfort to the Rakhine and Chin IDPs.

Then, the Union Minister and his entourage handed over K111,321,000 to the relevant officials to buy rice for a total of 4,132 IDPs staying at four temporary IDP camps and their relatives’ homes in the township.

Then, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Department of Rehabilitation jointly gave K30,000 to each member of the vulnerable group (68 elderly people, 312 under-5 children, 27 disabled persons and 23 pregnant women) at the IDP camps. So, the total amount of the cash assistance to the vulnerable group is K12,900,000. Then the Union Minister and his entourage handed over K2.4 million to the officials of the IDP Camp 1 and the IDP Camp 2 to build a total of 16 toilets in the camps.

Afterwards, the Union Minister and his entourage visited the Shukhintha Designated Land where the IDPs will be temporarily accommodated, and another designated land near Kyar Maung Village where the IDPs will be resettled. Next, the Union Minister discussed with the officials to aid the IDPs in accordance with the national strategy on the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and closure of IDP camps.

During the meeting with the IDPs, the Union Minister expressed his empathy for the IDPs who have been affected by both the armed conflicts and the COVID-19 crisis. He said that the government has implemented the Covid-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP) as a special programme. The Union Minister also claimed that the government is giving higher priority to the Rakhine State in its humanitarian assistance programme. Moreover, the government will make arrangements for providing water to the temporary IDP camps, said the Union Minister.

Then, the Union Minister highlighted the importance of empathy, and made a wish that all citizens can enjoy peaceful lives as soon as possible.—MNA (Translated by Maung Maung Swe)