Torrential Rains Ravage Arakan’s Gwa Township for the Third Time

Gwa: The torrential rains that have been triggering floods and landslides have hit Gwa Township in southeastern Arakan State again, after the township had been already affected twice since the start of this year’s rainy season. A resident of the township said the downpour had started last Saturday and is still continuing, triggering landslides and floods and causing more difficulties for the already troubled local peoples in the township.


“It has already been three days of heavy rains in our area, now the roads are damaged and impassable due to the flooding and landslides, many paddy fields are flooded again and the people here are now facing greater troubles because they have been already affected by the recent rains in our township ”, said the resident.

He said Gwa-Thandwe road, the main transportation link in the township, is totally impassable as the road is being blocked by a massive landslide from the hill near the Sat Twar Rwa village twenty miles away from Gwa and a number of bridges on the road are also damaged due to flooding.

He also said that the prices of commodities and edibles including rice are skyrocketing in the township as the roads are broken and the traffic and transportation to other townships has been cut off.

A farmer from the area also said most of the farmers in the area are having to abandon their paddy farms as they have no seed left for re-cultivating their farms after being damaged by the floods generated by the continual heavy rains.

“Most of us have to abandon our paddy farming because we have no more seeds left and no money to sow and replant our farms. Our first cultivation from the start of the rainy season had already gone in the recent flood and now our paddy seedlings that we re-cultivated have been washed away and are still being submerged in the flood in the current rains, so we will not be able to do our farming again”, said the farmer.

He said that the President U Thein Sein has recently visited the flood affected villages in their township, but provided nothing except a CDMA phone to each of the village as government relief.

According to the sources, there is still no governmental organizations or NGO’s doing any rehabiliation work, or rendering assistance or relief to the flood victims in the township. Some well-wishing local people are collecting rice and other donations from more able people and households in the area and helping the victims. But their help is not enough for the victims and many of those have been suffering from lack of regular meals and famine.