Artists have been donating art to the “Art Aid for Arakan” project to raise money for the victims of Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State.

Artists have been encouraged to donate art to the project to help Rakhine State victims of the cyclone which made landfall on the Rakhine coast on 14 May. It hit and caused damage in nearly all the townships of Rakhine State, including the townships of Sittwe, Rathedaung, and Ponnagyun. Homes and other buildings were destroyed.

The money made from the sales of the art will go towards supporting those in need. As of 16 May, 40 artists had donated works.

The paintings have been for sale since the evening of 15 May and eight have already been sold, Thura Kyaw, who is in charge of the "Art Aid for Arakan" program told Mizzima.

He said: "Because so many artists contacted us and donated to us, the exact number of paintings is still unknown. We've already sold around 3 million Kyat's worth of paintings. At the moment, 40 artists have donated their works.”

The Arakan CSO Network and Arakan Art Gallery are working together to distribute the money from the Art Aid for Arakan Program to the areas that require it the most.

According to a military junta statement on 15 May it had already received donations of 1 billion kyats to help with disaster relief but, according to Rakhine State residents, they have seen no evidence of aid being distributed and all the junta has done is to clean up the area around the Sittwe Government Office.

According to Sittwe residents, local aid organisations and civil society groups are working independently to raise money, help people and rebuild without any government or outside help.