How is the Condition of Cyclone Mocha Evacuee in Myanmar?

Sittwe, Myanmar – Cyclone Mocha, which hit the coast of Myanmar and the southeastern part of Bangladesh on May 14, 2023, has caught the world’s attention. From the first day of the disaster, Human Initiative specifically received news directly from the scene through Khin, Human Initiative’s Field Staff for Myanmar.

Khin, a volunteer for Human Initiative, experienced the events of Cyclone Mocha. After inspecting the damage to his dwelling, Khin carried out a humanitarian mandate to monitor the disaster site.

“When reporting on the condition of Human Initiative Training Center in Sittwe, Myanmar, he said, “The current condition of the training ground is no longer usable. Everything has been destroyed to the ground.”

Difficulty Accessing Basic Needs

Khin received a humanitarian assignment from Human Initiative to assist Rohingya refugee camps. He found that almost 90% of the semi-permanent buildings were badly damaged. At that time, refugees lived in their tents, and many had improvised shelters from the remains of warehouse debris.

Based on Khin’s report, Deni Kurniawan, Manager of Human Initiative’s Disaster Risk Management, revealed that refugees were still facing difficulties, including accessing basic needs such as food, clean water, and health services. Thus, Cyclone Mocha is increasingly challenging Rohingya refugees after more than a decade of dealing with the asylum problem.

“The action plan that we will carry out in the near future includes distributing food packages in Sittwe, conducting a rapid needs assessment, and initiating coordination with Human Initiative volunteers in Myanmar,” said Deni.

Current Conditions

Unfortunately, difficult access and an unstable security situation hampered response efforts. Communication lines and electricity are also still not fully restored in the observation area.

In Situation Report #3 on Cyclone Mocha issued by Human Initiative on May 19, 2023, it was recorded that 17 areas in Rakhine State and 4 areas in Chin State were severely affected by Cyclone Mocha.

The latest data shows that nearly 3.2 million people in the vulnerable category have been affected and are in need of humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, approximately 912,277 people have been evacuated to safe places, with 233,000 individuals currently located at 396 collection points.