The
National Natural Disaster Management Committee held a coordination meeting at
the Vice President’s Office meeting hall in the Presidential Palace in Nay Pyi
Taw yesterday.
Committee
Chairman Vice President U Henry Van Thio delivered a speech at the meeting
saying the heavy floods that occurred in June and July have caused hazardous
situations throughout the affected states and regions, especially in Taninthayi
Region, Kayin State, Mon State and Bago Region.
The
Vice President said preplanned procedures for reacting to disasters and rescue
operations were carried in the flood-stricken areas, the National Natural
Disaster Management Committee and respective ministries and state and region
government provided aid and support, and the twelve work committees, formed at
the inception of the National Natural Disaster Management Committee in 2016,
also performed protection, rescue operations, aid and rehabilitation
procedures.
The
Vice President said the meeting will talk about forming the “Coordinating Body
for Rehabilitating Disaster-Affected Regions”, identifying regions as
disaster-affected areas, effects from the recent disasters, status on support
given, ongoing support processes, and preplanning operations for the remaining
rainy season.
The
Vice President said rehabilitation procedures have to be carried out after
search and rescue operations and aid have been provided after a natural
disaster. He said, of the twelve work committees, the Rehabilitation and
Renovation Work Committee and the Reinstating Vocational Training Work
Committee will be the primary operators but the “Coordinating Body for
Rehabilitating Disaster-Affected Regions” will be formed and given
responsibilities to speed up, effectively coordinate, assist and review and
fulfill requirements in the rehabilitation process.
He
said there are existing laws and bylaws for identifying a region as
disaster-affected.
After
the floods and landslides that occurred during the months of June and July in
2015, Chin State, Sagaing Region, Magway Region and Rakhine State were
identified as disaster-affected areas. The casualties, losses, deaths and other
factors of the recent floods will be considered and compared to previous
undertakings in the discussion, said the Vice President.
Next,
National Natural Disaster Management Committee Vice-Chair Union Minister for
Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye explained about the
population in the flood-affected areas, the status of people relocating,
submerged farmlands, damage to educational and healthcare facilities, roads,
bridges, wells and reservoirs, support from the National Natural Disaster
Management fund, support from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and
Resettlement, forming the “Coordinating Body for Rehabilitating
Disaster-Affected Regions”, and ongoing rehabilitation processes.
Management
Committee Secretary Deputy Minister U Soe Aung then explained that the Natural
Disaster Management Law and Bylaw state that a region can only be identified as
being disaster-affected if the catalyst natural disaster results in the mass
deaths of people and animals, mass demolition of basic infrastructure, property
and livelihoods, a disproportionate loss of security, education and health
opportunities and other social factors, mass destruction to the natural
environment, and significant difficulties in rehabilitating and restoring an
area to its former state among other issues. He then gave an explanation on the
losses sustained during the natural disasters that occurred in the now
identified disaster-affected regions in 2015 and the recent floods that have
affected the states and regions.
This
was followed by National Natural Disaster Management Committee members being
union ministers, deputy ministers and officials explaining about controlling
the flow of rivers, repairing roads and bridges and costs needed for them,
collecting crops, distributing crops and fertilizers, restoring farmers with
farming equipment and machineries, conducting an initial survey, verifying
losses, reopening schools, restoring damaged schools, providing textbooks and
stationery, regaining electric power, responding to international aid offered,
search and rescue formations, different levels of responses from ministries and
departments and preplanned plans.
The
Vice President then reviewed the discussions and gave instructions and advice
as necessary.
Attending
the meeting were Union Ministers Lt-Gen Sein Win, Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Dr. Aung Thu,
U Thant Sin Maung, Dr. Myo Thein Gyi, Dr. Myint Htwe, U Soe Win, U Han Zaw and
Dr. Win Myat Aye, Deputy Ministers Dr. Tun Naing, U Kyaw Lin and U Soe Aung,
permanent secretaries, directors-general and department officials.
Ref;
The Global New Light of Myanmar
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