Report on field visit of Director of Karuna Pathein to
flood affected areas in Tharbaung
township
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Purpose:
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To have personal understanding of the situation and supporting the
flood affected victims.
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Date:
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August 24 , 2012
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Persons involved:
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Fr.Henry Eikhlein (Director) , Fr.Josephat Soe Lwin, Vicar forane of
Pathein Zone, Mr. Alphonse (guide)
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Means of travel :
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By Car from Pathein to Tharbaung, by boat from Tharbaung to villages
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1.
Location
Pathein district is composed of 7 townships; Pathein,
Tharbaung, Kangyidauk, Yekyi, Kyaunggon, Kyone
Pyaw, Ngaputaw. Except Ngaputaw township, all the 6
townships are affected by recent flooding occurring since first week of August.
Tharbaung is the area most affected by the recent flooding. Situated in low lying land,
Tharbaung area is at risk and prone to flooding every year during rainy season
in July, August and September. The area was hit by flooding notably in 2004 and
this time flooding is the most affecting and damaging to the local people. This
time all 70 village tracks are under water and now still in the process of
recovering.
2.
Visiting
two villages
2.1. Kon
Tan Gyi village
Situated in west of Tharbaung town, 30 minutes of
travel by boat from Tharbaung. All 90 houses are flooded and the only way of
transportation in the village moving from house to house is in by means of small canoes. The majority of
villagers are Catholics and have one village chapel, a Marian Shrine, a house
for Clergy and visitor. There is a government supported primary school built in
wood with zinc roof of 20 x 40 fts size, not in solid condition and can
collapse at any time by strong wind. Karuna Pathein has sent two 2 volunteer
teachers headed by a school master native of the village. There are 60 children
( boys and girls) from grade 1 to 5, of
the same village. 60 % of the households in the village have farmland
cultivating paddy for their livelihood and the remaining others are seasonal
workers depending on the farmers of big lands. There is no dispensary in the
village. For healthcare the villagers have to depend on clinics in Tharbaung.
2.2. Nga Man Chaung village
Situated in the
west of Tharbaung town and a neighboring village of Kon Tan Gyi. The village of
Nga Man Chaung has existed about 60 years ago, established by the displaced
people during the time of Japanese occupation in Myanmar 1941-1945. No
household is originally of the village and instead, coming to take refuge in
this location rich of soils for paddy cultivation. There are about 200 houses
in the village composed of Buddhists, Baptists, and Catholics. Buddhists and
Baptists are the majority. 50% of the population in the village are farmers and
the rest are seasonal workers. There is one government primary school, Baptist
Chapel and Catholic Chapel and a Buddhist monastery. World Vision, INGOs is
doing development works in the village and doing relief services by providing
food items to the flood affected people a week before Karuna Pathein arrived to
distribute the food items to the villagers.
3.
Findings
from meeting with villagers
Group meeting
was conducted in both villages attended by the some village leaders, men and
women, and young people. Altogether about 10 members participated in group
meeting at Kon Tan Gyi and 9 members gathered in group meeting held in Nga Man
Chaung. This group meeting was conducted in the afternoon for about one hour
and at random. Prior to thes group meetings Karuna Pathein staff distributed
rice to the villagers in the morning respectively at Kon Tan Gyi and Nga Man
Chaung.
ü
The flooding this year is very unusual and
exceeds their normal expectation with regard to level of water rising and
longer duration of rainfall occurred which put them unprepared.
ü
Fortunately there was no storm and strong wind
during the flooding period. Otherwise there could have been more damages of
properties and loss of lives.
ü
Such unusual flooding occurred in 2004, meaning more
than ten years ago but this year flooding has caused more disturbances and damages
though no human life is lost.
ü
The two villages are under water during every
monsoon from June to September. However such phenomenon did not occur over 30
years ago. The main reasons of flooding is due to heavy and continuous rains
added by the bad consequences of unnecessary dams and fishponds installed in
the areas by the government sponsored business man. Being located in low land
areas, Tharbaung township is the most affected when such unusual phenomenon
occurs.
ü
Taking the past experiences and lessons learned
for about 30 years, the farmers in the villages begin the rice plantation only
after they are sure that the rains will stop and the water level will not come
up again in mid of September or in month of October every year. They store
paddy seeds in safer place until they are sure for beginning the nursery for
rice plantation usually in the beginning of September. But for this year due to
this unusual flooding, the rice farming works will be delayed and will be able
to start, may be, only in October as fears of another flooding is threatening.
ü
No other NGO and government offices arrived for
emergency relief until 3rd
week of August after flooding occurred. World Vision INGO took care of food
items distribution in Nga Man Chaung but not in Kon Tan Gyi. Only Karuna
Pathein has arrived on August 23-26 distributing rice, based in 3 villages (
Kon Tan Gyi, Nga Man Chaung, Kon Su) for about 4 kg of rice per person for
about 5600 beneficiaries without discrimination of race and religions.
ü
There is no social disorders and confusions like
robbing, theft, violence, taking place in the villages though faced by natural
disaster. All are well ordered and managed under the administration of capable village
leaders.
ü
The villages could manage to stay in their own
villages and no displacement in the camps. When some poor family houses built
in bamboo and thatch sheets can no longer stand for increasing water level,
they all gather in stronger and solid houses built of woods and bricks. In this
way that 4-5 families can take refuges in one solid house.
4. Challenges and Recommendations
People living in Kon Tan Gyi and Nga Man Chaung and other surrounding villages will be
challenged by this form of natural disaster ( floods) in almost of every rainy
season. In the perspective of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), some measures with
regard to minimizing the hazards and risk need to be taken seriously. It is
good that they know how to keep their seeds and some food items in safer places
in preparation for facing disaster. The village of Nga Man Chaung has planned
to collect from community as security food item ( rice) in coming summer and
store it in safe place. The same action should be planned by other neighboring
villages in view of food security of each village.
Only few houses in the villages are solid and strong,
built of wood and on high wood or concrete posts. The villagers would be
strongly recommended to build their future houses on solid and high level
foundation posts to prevent them from being submerged under waters while
flooding in the areas. This practice of
defense mechanism will assure them of more security physically and
psychologically.
The training like DRR needs to be given to the
villagers so that the practices of getting early warning systems, doing village
maps, understanding seasonal maps, preparing for security packages, forming
emergency task force teams in the village can be assured. In this way that the
village will be prepared both in skills and knowledge for any emergency response.
5. Conclusion
As this one day
visit was organized and made in view of
having more personal understanding of the situation and supporting the
flood affected victims through Karuna Pathein Staff in distributing rice, both
the Director and the Vicar Forane of Pathein Zone has come back with full
understanding of the difficult situation faced by the people in Tharbaung
township. Seeing the two villages as sample, understanding of the whole areas
can be extended. The needs are still huge even at emergency phase and still
more will be in the phase of rehabilitation. Unless these local people are well
equipped with DRR concepts and skills, prepared with strong infrastructures (
buildings, means of transportation, food security etc), their worries for life
will not do down even though the water level has gone lower at the moment. Until this moment Karuna Pathein has covered townships
of Kyone Pyaw, Kyaunggon, Kangyidauk, Pathein and Tharbaung about 50 villages
distributing 1000 sacks of rice ( 50000 kilo g) to 125000 beneficiaries with
discrimination of race and religions.
Karuna Pathein
staff are now being deployed in the affected township to continue collecting
more detailed data assessment while applying for Emergency Appeal through
coordination of KMSS National Office to Caritas Internationalis (CI). Glad to
learn and see the other organizations like World Food Programs of UN, Red
Cross, World Visions, Baptist Churches and some political parties responding to
the urgent needs of the people affected by the flood in Pathein district
comprising in 5 townships. Now the rains
have stopped and the water level going down, however still there is fears of
another waves of flood threating the region in October according to National
Weather Forecast Department. Local people are being traumatized by flood and
now living under fears of natural disaster. Karuna Pathein is planning to send
some staff trained in Pyscho Social Support to provide some awareness sessions
on trauma healing as it has been done
in Cyclone Nargis response in 2008. Karuna Pathein is committed to continue
providing social services to all the people in need and affected by disaster
following the Catholic Social Teachings as guide in close collaboration with
KMSS National Office.
Reported from Office of KMSS-Pathein (Karuna Pathein)
August 26, 2012
NB: Progress report on August activities on Emergency
Response by Karuna Pathein (KMSS-Pathein) will be provided in a separate
report.
