Food shortages still plague flood victims

Four weeks after President U Thein Sein declared a national state of emergency, the disaster relief effort is still struggling to feed all the flood victims. Community leaders say gaps in the coordination of aid are to blame.

More than 451,000 disaster-affected people in states and regions across the country are estimated to be in need of food and water assistance, according to the latest flood situation report issued by the National Natural Disaster Management Committee on 26 August.

U Hlaing Aung, a resident of Kalay township in Sagaing Region, said most of his township’s agriculture was inundated. Residents must now rely on vegetables coming from the Chin valley, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Kalay, which has been made nearly impassable by landslides.

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