NAY PYI TAW September 21
Well-wishers made cash donations for relief and rehabilitation of areas hit by typhoon Yagi-related floods in Myanmar at a ceremony held at City Hall of Nay Pyi Taw here this afternoon.Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing accepted the donations and spoke words of thanks.
Also present were Chairman of National Disaster Management Committee SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, the Joint SAC Secretary, SAC members, union ministers, union level officials, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nay Pyi Taw command commander, deputy ministers, well-wishers, officials of ministries and welfare organizations.
First, a video clip “overcome natural disasters with unity” on Yagi-related floods and search, rescue and relief operations was screened.
Donations presented
Ministries, families of Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air), and well-wishers presented cash donations for relief and rehabilitation in flood-hit areas. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing accepted the donations and presented certificates of honour.
Then donors presented cash contributions and Vice-Senior General Soe Win, SAC Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo, SAC members General Mya Tun Oo, Admiral Tin Aung San, Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, General Nyo Saw, U Wunna Maung Lwin, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Soe Win, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chair U Than Tun Oo accepted them and presented certificates of honour.
Occurrence of natural disaster and words of thanks for the donations
The Senior General expressed thanks for the generous donations and wished auspiciousness for all donors, individual persons and organizations, and said the typhoon was very powerful and did a lot of damage.
International news reported that the typhoon entered Hainan Island with high intensity. According to past experience, Shan State got normal rains about two days after the typhoon hit Vietnam, and no one expected its degree of intensity would reach that point. At the same time, a low pressure area was formed in Bay of Bengal.
Due to their power, downpours occurred in Shan State (South), Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, and some regions and states. The continuous downpours triggered tumbling mountain watercourses that caused destruction along their trail. The flood-hit areas had never experienced a disaster to that degree in the past 50 years. Rain was as heavier at night and flash and powerful mountain streams made large-scale destruction.
Because of heavy rains, flood hit 54 townships in nine states and regions. As the country has 330 townships, one sixth or 16 percent of them faced floods. According to the list issued this morning, the number of totally destroyed buildings was 2,149, partially destroyed buildings, 3,455, damaged caused by inundation, 136,023, totalling 141,627 and 546 schools were damaged by inundation. The number of flood victims was 148,643 and 384 died. They were 164 from Nay Pyi Taw, five from Kayin State, two from Bago Region, 134 from Mandalay Region, 78 from Shan State, one from Ayeyawady Region, and 89 were missing.
The floods also destroyed 435 religious buildings, drove away 533 roads and bridges, and damaged 2,489 lamp poles and 99 communication towers, killed 144,998 animals, and destroyed 735,461 acres of paddy fields.
The Senior General said he was extremely pleased as the donations were made amidst the hardships everyone was facing at present. The donations will contribute a lot to the rehabilitation task. People from various places are making collective donations and conducting relief operations continuously for the flood victims. Myanmar people are making donations out of their generosity. As flood victims could bring only the things that were within their sight at the time when floods suddenly came, they are facing many hardships.
The government has allocated Ks-30 billion for flood relief and rehabilitation efforts and will also use donations from philanthropists and donors.
It is necessary to carry out immediate restoration work following a natural disaster, and government officials, including myself, are working to guide and implement restoration activities in the affected areas.
During the time of Cyclone Mocha last year, I personally visited Rakhine State and the ancient cultural zone of Bagan, which had experienced flooding, to guide and implement the necessary restoration work.
The temples and pagodas in the ancient Bagan cultural zone are invaluable heritage, and therefore it is necessary to continue systematic preservation efforts. For this reason, I have directed efforts to redig ancient ponds and establish water drainage systems to improve water flow and greenery in the Bagan area. Thanks to these actions, the damage in the Bagan cultural zone during the recent heavy rains has been minimal.
Regarding the flooding, it has been found that the riverbeds in our country’s rivers are rising, causing more sediment deposition and contributing to the problem. In some areas, illegal logging and the inability to transport timber from logging operations in time have worsened the damage caused by sudden and continuous rains.
Approximately 700,000 acres of cultivated land have been damaged by the floods, and efforts are underway to replant crops. In some fields, significant repairs are required before replanting, and in areas where rice can no longer be planted, alternative summer crops will be cultivated.
In the education sector, efforts are being made to reopen schools in flood-affected areas, ensuring that students’ education is aligned with their grade levels. Anyone wishing to assist with the reopening of schools is encouraged to contribute. The government is also working swiftly to repair and rebuild the damaged school buildings, and donors are welcome to provide necessary books and writing materials for students.
The current flooding is a result of heavy rains rather than strong winds, and preparations must be made to face natural disasters. Proper household practices can help reduce damage, and improper disposal of waste can disrupt water flow, leading to more flooding.
Therefore, we must all work together to ensure proper living standards to prevent such occurrences. Following this, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to those who donated money, stating, “We must overcome this challenge together. The Ks-31 billion you have donated today is not a small amount, and I am deeply grateful. In terms of government spending, we also cannot spend too much, as there would be a lot of talk about the budget. So, today’s donations help bear some of the country’s burden. I had only expected about Ks-3 or Ks-4 billion, but I would like to thank everyone, including individuals and organizations, for their generosity today. I also encourage everyone to continue helping when the country needs it in the future. We will continue to follow our five-point roadmap to the best of our ability, and while this plan was supposed to be completed two years ago, various reasons have delayed it. We are now working to complete it. I also ask for your continued support in this regard.
On October 1, we will conduct a national census to count the population and households. This will form the basis for compiling voter lists and holding elections so that the country can follow the people’s choice. I conclude by urging you to participate in this effort.”
After the ceremony, the Senior General and party warmly greeted the philanthropists and donors and hosted a tea reception.
At today’s donation ceremony held at the City Hall in Nay Pyi Taw for flood relief and rehabilitation efforts, a total of Ks-32,230 million (over Ks-32.2 billion) was received from philanthropists and donors.
