Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the ceremony to donate cash for relief and rehabilitation tasks in disaster-hit areas, at the Zeyathiri Beikman on Konmyinttha of Yangon Command Headquarters yesterday morning.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General said that the government held the emergency meeting on natural disaster management on 15 May to undertake necessary emergency management, response, relief and cooperation as well as rehabilitation. Meanwhile, well-wishers donated K13.181 billion for the relief and rehabilitation of the storm victims.
Now, Tatmadaw members, Myanmar Police Force members and departmental personnel are assigned to the storm-hit areas to carry out help, relief and rehabilitation with might and main.
Some people refused to move from their places to safer places. So, some losses of life happened. It can be seen that those who reached the safer places escaped from the loss of life. Up to 19 May, regions and states lost 183,024 houses, 1,711 religious buildings, 59 monasteries, 1,397 schools, 227 hospitals and clinics, 11 telecom towers, 199 lamp-posts, five transformers, one market, Sittway and Kyaukpyu airports and 340 departmental buildings. A total of 145 persons were dead.
Donated cash of K7 billion was handed over to the state chief minister in Sittway on 15 May. Relief supplies were sent to storm-hit areas from Pyay and Magway routes. Moreover, these relief supplies were sent by air. Now, cash donations amounted to some K20 billion except for donations from other areas.
Aid will be sent to not only Rakhine State but some parts of Chin State. As it is necessary to firmly do rehabilitation tasks before monsoon, the government focuses on such rehabilitation tasks. Donated cash will be efficiently spent on the relevant sectors.
The Senior General presented certificates of honour to donors who initially donated cash for relief and rehabilitation in the storm-hit areas on 15 May.
The Senior General also accepted cash donated by well-wishers for relief and rehabilitation tasks.
The Senior General disclosed that India provides relief aid to Myanmar by ship and China sends foodstuffs through land borders. Thailand will present supplies to Myanmar on Monday. ASEAN AHA Centre schedules to present relief aid to Myanmar. Supplies donated by neighbouring countries will be distributed to all storm-hit victims without leaving anyone.
The Senior General viewed documentary photos on losses and damage in the disaster-hit areas, donations of well-wishers, sending of aid to disaster-hit regions and progress of relief and rehabilitation tasks.
Yesterday, well-wishers donated K8,717,539,500, one million baht, 100,000 CI sheets and roofing equipment worth K1.5 billion, and instant noodles, biscuits and purified drinking water worth 100,000 yuan. Well-wishers donated K13.181 billion on 15 May. So, total donations amounted to more than K21,898.5 million. — MNA/TTA
