Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rangoon officials reject tornado victims’ plea for temporary homes

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Wednesday, 14 July 2010 23:47 Mizzima News

Rangoon (Mizzima) – Rangoon divisional authorities have rejected the pleas of tornado victims in Kawmhoo Township for permission for or help with a temporary housing camp, according to the township’s peace and development council.

The tornado, which ripped through the district at about 6:30 p.m. on July 8, razed or damaged more than 60 houses in the affected area that included Thaminchan, Thayaktaw, Tartite, and Htandapin villages and displaced more than 230 people.

However, when those rendered homeless and the township authority sought approval or aid from the Rangoon Division Peace and Development Council for temporary housing, they were rejected, forcing the victims to take refuge with relatives.

“We want to rehabilitate the victims. We have been ordered not to open a temporary housing camp, so how can we organise to ask for alms for the victims?” a Kawmhoo Township Peace and Development Council spokesman said. “We need to open a temporary housing camp for displaced persons and ask for donations for the victims.”

The only aid the victims have received from the community came a few days ago when the Burma Red Cross Society invited victims and the township head to the local monastery to donate blankets, drinking water, medicines and household items.

An owner of a house destroyed by the tornado, said, “We are going to have to repair our house on a self-help basis”.

The worst-hit area was Thaminchan village, in which more than 40 houses sustained severe damage. Some of them completely collapsed, were pushed over or were leaning heavily, and some houses’ roofs were torn off in the high winds.

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