Rakhine Lawmaker Stopped Foods Delivery to Refugees in Rakhine State

Rakhine Lawmaker Stopped Foods Delivery to Refugees in Rakhine State 

April 28, 2019, Sittway

Myanmar Navy turned back a boat carrying rice, drinking waters, and dry fishes for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on April 28. 

The humanitarian assistance of foods delivery was conducted by Lawmaker Daw Khin Zaw Wai.

Daw Khin Saw Wai is an elected Representative of People Parliament from Rathedaung township. She has served in the parliament for two terms since 2010. 

She attempted to negotiate with the Navy officer while stopping. She requested to talk directly to the responsible person who gave the order to ban the delivery. But the officer turned down her request.

The essential foods donated by the people from Toungup was shipped by Arakan National Party (ANP), the largest winner of State Parliamentary seats, to the IDP camps in Rathedaung. The navy stationing on the river mouth nearby Zardi Pyin village stopped the boat and asked for permit from the state government

The representative from the political party explained the navy officer that humanitarian assistances were delivering to the IDP camps and only humanitarian purposes, but the officer refused to let it go.

She was very disappointed the restriction on humanitarian assistances.

“If (you) restrict on donated foods delivery to the innocent civilian refugees, will central government and state government take responsibility to manage sufficient foods for the needs of refugees?” she wrote on her Facebook. She continues and asks, “Is it appropriate the restriction to turn down by the request of a Parliamentary Member who wishes and shares in good-wills of my constituency who are facing difficulties, and to delivering drinking waters to the needy?” 

Recently, Rakhine State Government has imposed restrictions\non local charity organizations and individuals donating foods and other materials\nto the IDPs. 

The government instructs them to get permits before they deliver any goods to the IDP camps. Many organizations complain the government restrictions and long delay of the permit granting. 

Several refugee camps in Mrauk U, Rathedaung, and Buthidaung face shortage of foods and drinking waters duce to the restrictions. Emergency responses to the refugees are very mush hindering since then. 
Rakhine Ethnic Congress that collects data of the refugees has recently released a statement and states outnumber of IDPs are exceeding to 35,153, mostly children and women.

Both central and state government have imposed restricts on UN humanitarian aid agencies and international non-governmental organizations for humanitarian assistances activities in Rakhine State.

Maung Thein, an aid volunteer, tells our news agency, “Very difficult; noting is working now to emergency responses of foods and drinking waters delivery to the IDP camps. They face shortage of foods and water. 

He continues, “It is a kind of slow mass murdering the refugees.” He is referring it to the state government restrictions on the emergency responses.

Rakhine State is heavy rain, stormy, and water flooding region in monsoon weather. The refugees are very worry unprepared and non-assistances by the government in coming months, almost ending the dry season. 

More and more refugees are running out of their villages daily duce the continuance of heavy military operations in Northern Rakhine State.

Arakan Army issues and a warning statement, and more fighting is ahead of May and June since more troops are sending to Rakhine State and Paletwa in Chin State.

IDPs problems will not be solved in short terms, but only relaying on local people donations. UN aid agencies and INGOs involvement is essential for emergency responses of IDPs crisis in Rakhine State.

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