Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice Senior General Soe Win addresses National Natural Disaster Management Committee on national rehabilitation coordination meeting
NAY PYI TAW June 6
A national coordination committee meeting on rehabilitation of the National Disaster Management Committee was held at the meeting hall of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon and Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addressed the meeting.
Also present at the meeting were union ministers, the union attorney general, the Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air), senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, directors general and officials while union ministers Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, U Myo Thant and Dr Thet Thet Khaing and chief ministers from the Chin State, Magway Region, Rakhine State, Yangon Region and Ayeyawady Region participated in the meeting via video conference.
First, the Vice-Senior General delivered a speech, saying them purpose of the meeting is concerned with damage caused by severe cyclonic storm Mocha on 14 May in Rahkine State and nearby area and accelerating the ongoing rehabilitation efforts. Relevant committees are carrying out rehabilitation efforts depending on the damage.
In doing so, 17 townships in Rakhine State and four townships in Chin State have been declared as the areas under natural disaster and rehabilitation efforts are being carried out. As for the government, senior officers of the Tatmadaw have been sent to each township to perform duties. Similarly, members of the NNDMC has been sent to areas affected by the storm to remove the damage.
As a result, progress has been seen within three weeks. It is necessary to exert efforts to make more progress.
In cooperation with the international community, it is necessary to re-designate the rehabilitation period under section 11 and 26 of the Natural Disaster Management Law must as soon as possible. Based on the rehabilitation period and lessons during Nargis Cyclone, as it is necessary to carry out rehabilitation efforts of all round and all sector rehabilitation during the post Mocha period as soon as possible, all relevant ministries are required to cooperate.
Relief items donated by well-wishers and assistance purchased through the natural disaster funds are being transported to disaster hit areas. In doing so, Tatmadaw aircraft and vessels are being used. It is necessary for the management committee to negotiate the cost of transporting aid by civilian transportation services.
In spending the funds, ministries affected by the ministries are required to repair the first phase of damage by spending its funds and are required to apply for more funds from the national level natural disaster response emergency fund. If further needed, they are required to request more funds from the budget. In order to be able to do so, the meeting has been held to discuss necessary negotiations.
At the first time, compiling statistics in Rakhine State was carried out in cooperation with local authorities. It was also learnt that there was damage in Chin State, Magway Region, Ayeyawady and Sagaing Region.
Damage in all states and region will be assumed as the national damage and necessary measures will be taken.
Storm warnings were issued before 6th May and preventive measures were issued along the route of the storm during the storm in real time. As news was broadcast in real time, the media of the country were trusted not only by local but also by foreign news agencies. As a result, it is necessary to place an emphasis on releasing news on rehabilitation efforts in real time.
When it was announced that school would be reopened on 1 June, students and parents were concerned that basic education and higher education schools would not be reopened in a timely manner. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the rehabilitation committee together with the ministry of construction, the Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Federation, the Myanmar Licensed Contractors Federation and the Myanmar Civil and Infrastructures Development Association, the contractors under the Ministry of Education are coordinating to give priority to open schools in safe shelters in different townships. To reopen universities, the Ministry of Construction is taking responsibility and as a result, basic education and higher education schools could be reopened on 1 June. As schools could be reopened in a timely manner, the concerns of local residents could be relieved and such was the success of the rehabilitation efforts. In addition, it is necessary to repair station hospitals and township hospitals as soon as possible.
96 percent of rehabilitation tasks on communications in Rakhine State have been completed.
The Ministry of Electric Power has completed 93 percent in reinstalling the 230 KV power line and 98 percent in 66 KV line between the cities of Ponnagyun and Sittwe. On June 7, Sittwe and Ponnagyun could be supplied power through those power lines. In those cities, electricity will be distributed with 11 KV power lines.
Regarding health, priority was given to fixing the kidney cleansing machine in Sittway and now it has been fixed, which means good news for kidney patients. Moreover, sawn wood and logs necessary for rehabilitation tasks could be sent to the cyclone affected areas timely.
It is necessary to complete reconstruction of buildings as soon as possible in rehabilitation tasks at different priority levels and make arrangements to provide seeds and agricultural equipment necessary for farmers as now is the start of growing season. In taking rehabilitation measures, it is to make it better than original conditions in accordance with the Prime Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice Senior General Soe Win addresses National Natural Disaster Management Committee on national rehabilitation coordination meeting Minister’s guidance. Relief assistance in cash and kind provided or donated by international organizations, local and overseas well-wishers and donors are systematically received and distributed to the cyclone affected areas as quickly as possible. I would like to thank the AHA Center for its assistance too.
Then, Vice Chairman of National Natural Disaster Management Committee Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut reported on measures taken by the committee in the periods before and after the cyclone, tasks being carried out for fixing communications network, efforts being made to restore power supply as quickly as possible, collecting stats on the damaged, and the need to be able to set a rehabilitation period. In his report, he said that relief items have been transported by military and civilian vessels and aircraft in the post-cyclone period.
As of June 5, military vessels have transported 3,613.20 tons of cargo and 874 people in nine different times, military aircraft 454.622 tons of cargo and 3,477 people in 152 different times, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications 32.02 tons of cargo by road in two different times, 13,722.731 tons of cargo by water in nine different times and 0.618 ton of cargo by air in four different times, 17,937.791 tons of cargo and 4,351 people in total in 177 different times.
Military vessels consumed 192,358 gallons of diesel and 1,927 gallons of lubricating oil for nine voyages from Yangon to Sittwe. 61,227 gallons of diesel and 351 gallons of lubricating oil have been used for 22 trips in distributing and transporting 1,547 tons of relief items to the cyclone affected areas from Sittway. In total, 253,585 gallons of diesel and 2,278 gallons of lubricating oil have been consumed.
Military aircraft and helicopters have consumed 147,833 gallons of fuel oil for 152 flights.
Civilian vehicles, vessels and aircraft have consumed 43,100 gallons of fuel oil in 15 trips by road, water and air. The cyclone damaged 498 health facilities and 40 percent of the damage have been repaired. Health service was rendered to 9,291 out patients and 4,341 inpatients between the start of the storm and May 31. There were 815 patients who suffered from diarrhea and of them, 11 were hospitalized. Chlorine was added to 3,069 wells and ponds in Rakhine State. Rubbish, trees and dead animals in drinking ponds were removed. For construction tasks for rehabilitation, 64 tons of logs, 1,838 tons of sawn wood, 24 tons of nail, and 13 tons of roofing nails have been transported. For agriculture and livestock, 116 buffaloes and 80 tractors have been bought and provided. Veterinary treatment was given to 318 head of cattle, 69 pigs and 10 goats. In Ayeyawady Region, 226 buildings have been repaired, 448 in Magway Region and 1,198 in Chin State.
Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Thet Thet Khaing reported on an entry of Ks-26.009 billion in cash donation into Myanmar Economic Bank and an entry of US$-375,000 into Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank until June 5, a purchase of 10,000 tons of rice (200,000 bags) in reserves from the disaster management fund, 60,000 bags of rice earmarked for Rakhine State, 2,169 bags of rice donated by well-wishers, transport of 62,169 bags of rice to Sittway, transport of 640 bags of rice to Chin State, 100,000 corrugated iron sheets purchased and transported to Sittway, 204,502 sheets donated by well-wishers and transported to Sittwe, conducting of ground surveys to Sittwe, Yathedaung, Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun towns by ASEAN-ERAT, and arrivals of seven flights of relief supplies from AHA Centre.
Union Minister for Transport and Communications Admiral Tin Aung San reported on supply of relief aid in stages, fuel supplies for transport of relief supplies by car, by ship and by air, and reconstruction of schools and other buildings in Rakhine State by the Ministry of Construction.
Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Win Shein reported on spending of money for normal and capital expenses in line with the financial rules, and making of systematic records of money donated at home and abroad and spending after scrutiny of the disaster management committee.
Union Minister for International Cooperation U Ko Ko Hlaing reported on international community’s interest in cooperation on relief measures, offers from UN agencies, ASEAN, international Red Cross societies and INGOs to cooperate, the need for providing humanitarian aid without discrimination and politics, contacts with the Humanitarian Country team, granting of permission for the visit of the Secretary General of ASEAN as the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator (SGAHAC) to the damage sites, and formation of On Side Operation Coordination Centre.
Union Minister Dr Thida Oo reported on enforcement of a two month period for disaster affected areas in accord with Section 11 of the law, the possibility to extend the period for next two months and so on if the situation does not return to normal, and the need to stop the enforcement period when the situation returns to normal in accord with the subsection (a) or (b) of the bylaw.
Then, the union ministers and officials from the management committees and 12 work committees and the chief ministers of Chin and Rakhine states and Magway, Yangon and Ayeyawady regions reported on emergency response measures, loss and damage of ministerial buildings and their repairs, plans to engage in agriculture and livestock breeding in the aftermath of the storm, plans to obtain safe drinking water and electricity, healthcare services, availability of correct figures and accounts, withdrawals and spending of funds in line with the financial rules and setting of a rehabilitation period.
Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Maung Maung Aye and senior military officers explained preparations for rescue and relief before the storm, sending of 10 convoys of military vehicles 12 May to the respective regions that might be hit by the storm, water and air transport of foodstuffs and relief supplies donated by Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air) families and public well-wishers and the disaster management committee, sales of rice, cooking oil, salt, eggs and vegetables to the storm victims in Rakhine State at cheap prices and assistance in rehabilitation work.
Later, the Vice-Senior General coordinated the reports and discussions as necessary and gave a concluding remark.