17 July

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement organized a coordination meeting online yesterday to provide relief assistance to the internally displaced persons from Paletwa, and Rakhine State. 

In the meeting, the Union Minister said that there were migrants because of natural disasters and conflicts; that the ministry regarded them as an important issue and had been helping people affected by ongoing armed conflicts as well as providing resettlement by cooperating and implementing the strategies and plans, and regarding with the eight requirements submitted by the Relief and Rehabilitation Committee for Chin IDPs, the ministry was carrying out the provision of lifesaving assistance to people affected by conflicts such as foods and buildings as well as the medical supplies for COVID-19-related issues; that the Chin State and Rakhine State governments were coordinating with respective ministries for the development of education, health and road communications; that it was important to cooperate to end the conflicts as the civilians were in trouble due to the conflicts. The Union Minister also requested all relevant officials to discuss in order to solve the problems those displaced people were facing.

Then, Relief and Rehabilitation Committee for Chin IDPs chairman U Salai Issac Khin discussed that the committee was coordinating with Chin State government and respective officials for the displaced Chin people in Paletwa Township and Rakhine State; that the money donated to the committee was used in food provision, temporary building construction, health care and in other administrations ; that there were not only displaced people but also local villagers locked in their own villages; that there were displaced Chin people in Ann Township in Rakhine State and because of poor road communications and security, they were in need of food, healthcare, education and shelter.

Afterwards, the Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement discussed the coordination from the national level with the partner organizations in carrying out projects to transport foods through Kyauktaw-Paletwa waterway and the repair of the Sami-Paletwa Road as well as the long term and current plans for COVID-19 crisis. 

Then, relevant ministers from Chin State government and Rakhine State government, the MPs, the officials and the attendees discussed the cooperation in solving difficulties and the processes to be continued. 

The meeting was attended by Union Minister Dr Win Myat Aye, Deputy Minister U Soe Aung, Chin State government, Rakhine State government and officials from respective ministries and representatives from the Relief and Rehabilitation Committee for Chin IDPs (RRCCI).

MNA (Translated by Ei Phyu Phyu Aung)