Able-bodied survivors told to leave shelters

Maung Dee & Jone Mann

Thursday, 08 May 2008 19:51

New Delhi – Hundreds of cyclone victims have been turned away from a shelter east of Rangoon after local authorities decided it was too crowded, local residents said. A similar case was reported in a second shelter nearby. More than 3,000 residents of Block No. 20 in Hlaing Tharyar township, an industrial zone on the outskirts of the commercial capital, flocked to a primary school to seek temporary shelter after Cyclone Nargis devastated the city. But village authorities ordered more than 1,000 of the victims to leave, citing health concerns, according to Daw Hla Hla Maw, a part-time vegetable seller. "On May 6, local authorities told us to return to our own houses," she said. "Where should we go? Our houses are damaged." Authorities said only the elderly and those unable to work were allowed to stay. Others were expected to rebuild their homes. The officials said too many people in the school posed health hazards as there wasn't enough fresh air or toilets. Officials also said they couldn't distribute enough food to survivors, Daw Hla Hla Maw said. People now are worried over how they can rebuild their homes, which were mostly simple bamboo huts, she said. About 10,000 people were left homeless by the cyclone's powerful winds, she estimated. It costs about 50,000 kyats to construct a small bamboo house. Most workers earn 3,000 kyat per day as labourers and cannot afford building materials. "All our houses and properties were destroyed and now we don't have any work," said a man from Block No. 2. "We are very worried about getting food." Some residents are able to work in Rangoon, but the transportation costs more than 1,000 kyats per day one-way. Others are doing petty jobs like cleaning, washing and repairing roofs for wealthier residents. In Block 2, able-bodied residents were also forced out of a local school serving as a shelter, the man said. Authorities were providing 1 kg of rice and three potatoes to each family every day. But there were complaints about the quality and quantity of the food. "The rice they provided us is not good, and it needs to be cleaned again properly," said the man from Block No. 2. "For big families, these things are not enough." Wealthier people were donating rice, oil, salt and other edibles to local authorities, who distributed the goods to those living in shelters. < Prev   Next >