28 September 2024
The National Natural Disaster Management Committee held a coordination meeting this afternoon at the Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Ministry’s conference hall in Nay Pyi Taw. The meeting was attended and addressed by Chairman of the National Natural Disaster Management Committee Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
The event was attended by committee vice-chairmen Union Ministers Lt-General Yar Pyae and Dr Soe Win, member Union Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, Deputy Ministers, members of the Nay Pyi Taw Council, security and border affairs ministers from region and state governments, department heads, and relevant officials.
In his speech, Vice-Senior General Soe Win stated that at the natural disaster management meeting held on September 17, the Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister had provided directives and policies. These directives and policies have already been distributed to the relevant committees, and it is necessary to review the progress of work carri-Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses National Natural Disaster Management Committee Coordination Meeting ed out under these directives.
The Prime Minister instructed that reconstruction efforts be completed by March 15, 2025.Therefore, considering the time constraints, priority tasks should be implemented promptly.
The Prime Minister also directed that public schools, temporarily closed due to flooding,should be reopened as quickly as possible within October. Efforts should be made to reopen the schools within the specified timeframe. Additionally, people in the relief camps should be helped to return to their homes once the water recedes, and assistance should be provided to repair the damages as much as possible. Repairing damaged roads and bridges in the regions and states affected by flooding should be prioritized, including temporary bridges and ensuring transportation routes are not disrupted. To ensure effective disaster management and reconstruction efforts, accurate ground-level surveys are essential.
Initial surveys of needs and damage assessments must be conducted systematically by the work committee, as this will enable accurate information to be gathered for effective reconstruction.
As of today, rescue operations are still ongoing, and no area affected by disasters should be left without assistance. In particular, officials should find all possible ways to provide assistance to areas with difficult access. Discussions have already taken place regarding the damage in regions and states and the necessary steps for reconstruction. Since September 12, the Disaster Management Centre has been actively working on gathering data, coordinating with relevant departments, and issuing directives in a timely manner. Priority tasks have been completed, and remaining tasks will continue to be carried out step by step. The Disaster Management Centre, in cooperation with DMC teams from regions and states, will focus on reconstruction efforts, ensuring that work is done effectively.
In addition to the Prime Minister’s directives, other necessary tasks will also be carried out.
Before the nationwide population and household census begins on October 1, efforts should be made to return as many flood victims as possible to their homes.
Support should be provided based on consultations and established plans to ensure swift assistance.
Officials should explain to flood victims that by returning to their homes, they can resume safe and long-term living conditions.
Furthermore, military personnel, police, fire brigades, and social organizations will assist with cleaning operations, including removing sand deposits and debris from homes and roads. There should be no gaps in support efforts. Thorough discussions on losses such as fatalities, destruction of homes, schools, religious buildings, agricultural crops, and other damages should be conducted according to sectors to ensure precise and systematic assistance.
Officials from regions and states should actively discuss the current status of damages caused by flooding, ongoing recovery efforts, and the state of roads and bridges to ensure effective continuation of recovery efforts.
Then, Union Ministers Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, Dr. Soe Win and U Ko Ko Hlaing briefed on opening of relief camps, public benefit measures such as search, rescue and rehabilitation operations being carried out by members of the Tatmadaw and Myanmar Police Force, Fire Brigade members, people’s militia troops and members of social organizations, provision of cash, food and medicine as well as other necessary items of supplies, services being given for enabling the flood-affected people to return to their original residences, foods provided by the committee, provision of cash assistance and supplies for the damaged and deceased, receiving of supplies donated by foreign countries, matters on exchange of information and technology and preparedness on emergency response to natural disasters.
Afterwards, Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Moe Zaw Tun reported on temporary closure of basic education schools and education offices, damages and losses due to Typhoon Yagi, reopening of schools in the areas where the flood water has receded and measures being taken for renovation and timetables drawn up for substitute teaching when temporarily closed schools are reopened.
Next, Nay Pyi Taw Council members and ministers for security and border affairs of region and state governments reported on damages and losses, deaths, the missing, measures on repair of roads and bridges to ensure uninterrupted transportation, plans to be able to plant crops in substitution of seasonal crops in the cultivated areas where were flooded, distribution of the donated cash and supplies and measures being taken for rehabilitation.
Then, permanent secretaries, who are the secretaries of the working committee, departmental heads and officials reported on the work done and the tasks being carried out and the process to be taken as instructed.
After that, the Vice-Senior General made necessary coordination on the reports and gave concluding remarks.
Due to the effect of the typhoon, flooding occurred in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory and some regions and states. According to the statistics collected until the morning of September 27, 115,002 houses, 129 office buildings, 333 schools, 228 religious schools, 1,358 roads and bridges, 5,622 electricity lamp posts, 114 communication towers and more than 780,000 acres of paddy field were damaged in 110 townships across the country. The floods killed 433 people and 176,246 animals and left 79 people missing. The Disaster Management Center has been established with a 24-hour emergency office in order to carry out necessary rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations to flood-affected areas from time to time.
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