ICRC begins recovery work to support flood-affected communities

08 September 2015
ICRC begins recovery work to support flood-affected communities
Distribution of essential items, such as mats, blankets, hygiene kits and mosquito nets, in Mrauk-U, Rakhine. Photo: CC BY-NC-ND/ICRC

One month after cyclone Komen and heavy seasonal rains caused floods and landslides in Myanmar, ICRC and Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) have started recovery work. The organisations are distributing food and essential items to 60,000 people in Rakhine, where the ICRC already has a strong operational presence the organisation said on its website on 7 September.
“As water has receded, people going back home will need basic help to restart their lives. Thus, we have decided to continue to step up our relief efforts,” explained Enrique Ochoa Fernandez-Lomana, head of the ICRC in Sittwe.
According to the Rakhine authorities, floods have caused 55 deaths, devastated 270,000 acres of paddy fields, and affected over 150,000 people.
Since last week, the ICRC and the MRCS have started distributing food and essential items to 60,000 people in Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw and Minbya. In addition, both organizations are helping more than 60 villages in those areas to have access to safe drinking water and to clean ponds that were contaminated. Already, 70 ponds have been cleaned, benefiting over 10,000 people.
In the next six months, the ICRC and MRCS plan to support the livelihoods of and improve job opportunities for 25,000 people.
“We will encourage cash grants or cash-for-work projects aimed at cleaning up public infrastructure, like hospitals, while providing basic income opportunities for the community,” explains Mr. Ochoa Fernandez-Lomana.