The items, primarily roofing sheets, were distributed to the villagers in the Min Bya area by the Wanla Foundation of Rural Development and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

U Khaing Kaung San, the director of the Wanla Foundation told Narinjara News Agency that over 100 roofing sheets for makeshift tents were distributed and that the UN has provided  500 sets of roofing sheets.

He said: “We have given away 101 roofing sheets to the villagers of Min Zee Chaung and Shwe Ta Mar in Min Bya Township out of 500 [roofing sheets] supplied by the Central Emergency Respond Fund of the United Nations."

He said, of the roofing sheets they had distributed, 13 were given to villagers from Myinn Ka Sate Village; 26 went to Minn Zee Chaung (or Arrthay Kalay) Village; 40 went to Minn Puu Village (part of the Min Zee Chaung village group); four went to Shwe Ta Mar Village and 18 went to Lat Ma in the Shwe Ta Mar village group.

The roofing sheets were given to villagers who had lost their houses in the recent flooding. Many villagers in Rakhine State are facing hardships following the recent flooding and the UN has responded and is trying to help.

The villagers in Min Bya are supposed to get about 200 more roofing sheets and the rest of the 500 roofing sheets will go to villagers in Mrauk Oo.

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI