Flood Victims still Unable to Return Home due to Slow Recede of Flood

The water level of the Than Lwin (Salween) River is still five feet above its danger level in the Karen State and the homes of the local residents are still submerged even though the flood has receded, so Hpa-an residents are still facing difficulties in returning home.

The flood victims have been forced to abandon their homes and take refuge in temporary flood relief camps due to heavy rain and flooding of the Than Lwin River since July 22.

“The flood victims still can’t return home. The water has only receded by over one foot. It will still take a long time for some of them to return home even after the water has receded. Aids are still needed in the villages without relief camps,” Ko Myint Aung, a resident of Hpa-an who participates in the relief operation, said to Karen News.

Fifty-three relief camps have been opened for over 37,000 people in the Karen State and many villages still remain submerged without relief camps.

The State Department of Disaster Management’s director U Lin Htut told Karen News that the state government has no plan to open more flood relief camps.

“Hpa-an Township suffered the most from the flood in the Karen State. Both the town and villages suffer at the same time. There aren’t any plans to open more relief camps. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology said the water will recede within the next two days so the situation will improve,” he said.

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology announced on August 2 that the water level of the Than Lwin River is about five feet above its danger level in Hpa-an. It will only recede by one foot within the next two days and the water level may remain above its danger level.