Myanmar : Continuous Serious Damage at Flood Disaster Area

AAR Japan is providing assistance for the victims of the flood occurring from July in Myanmar . The local partner organization, MILI is a self-help organization of persons with disabilities (PWDs), and has offices across the country giving them an expansive network. They listened to the voices of PWDs who are placed in difficult situations in times of disaster, to understand their particular needs. Then, they began to distribute emergency supplies to areas in high demand. There are areas where the flood water has receded, however the damages are enormous assistance from the domestic/international community is still required in extensive areas.

We appreciate your continuing support to deliver assistance to the affected areas.

A MILI member is heading for an investigation of the disaster situation.
 Regardless of the flood water recession, the muddy unpaved road makes
the advance difficult. They are laying woven bamboos on the road as
a temporary measure. (Bago County, August 13th.2015)






In the province, the walls and roofs of many houses are made of bamboo.
 According to the government announcement, as many as 15,000 buildings
 were damaged. Among them, 10,000 buildings’ damage occurred
in Rakhine State. (Rakhine State, August 13th, 2015)





The water level during the flood reached 2 meters above the ground, and
it was so high that even a high-floor-style house to be prepared for the rainy season was flooded.
 The resident in the photo is pointing at the height of the water at the time of the flood.
(Rakhine State, August 13th, 2015)

A MILI personnel is heading to a shelter for a survey. In MILI, there are
many personnel who are PWDs, which enables them to grasp the needs of other PWDs.
(Yangon, August 15th, 2015)

Residents who are still continuing their displaced life are getting more and more
tired every day. Ever since the flood started, a total of 300,000 households
were forced to live a (displaced) life. (Yangon, August 15th, 2015)







Personnel of the Cooperation Organization MILI are assorting the procured relief supplies.
They efficiently pack supplies such as food, hygiene products, blankets, water proof sheets
for  every household. (Yangon, August 12th, 2015)

Yoshio NAKAGAWA, Yangon Office
After graduating from university, he started working at the Japanese Red Cross Society.
 Later, he hoped to work at a place for international cooperation and entered AAR Japan.
 He resided in Tajikistan from March 2011 to September 2013. He has acted as
 a representative of Hpa-An office in Myanmar(Burma) since October 2013, and
a representative of Yangon residence office, since January 2015. He is from Kanagawa Prefecture

Japanese-English translation by Ms. Erika Ikeya

Myanmar : Emergency Assistance for the Flood Victims Begins

In Myanmar, continuous heavy rain from July caused at least 103 deaths, and a total of 27 million families were forced to take refuge. The heavy rain has affected a massive number of　128 million people (Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Myanmar). AAR Japan, holding offices in Yangon and Karen State, has begun providing emergency assistance to those affected, in cooperation with a local Disabled Person’s Organization (DPO), Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI).

AAR Japan and MILI have decided to distribute food, daily essentials, and assistive devices such as crutches to 1,200 families, especially severely damaged households and persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their families, in ten areas such as Yangon, Magway, and Bago Regions, as well as Rakhine State. MILI has offices in all these ten areas, and has a handle on the situation of the local PWDs. Currently they are beginning distribution in some areas, while proceeding with needs assessment and commodity procurement. They plan to launch the full-scale distribution of goods early next week.

Myint Shwe is a local man who supported his five family members by selling fish. He lost all his household possessions and work tools in the flood. The flood rose to just under the roof of his stilt house, which has made it impossible to live in. (Ayeyarwady Region, August 11th, 2015, photo provided by MILI)