By Zwe Ko / MPA

Padoh Kler Say, spokesperson of Karen National Union (KNU) stated that the State Administration Council (SAC) is obstructing those assisting flood victims, to project an image of itself as the legitimate government to the international community.

The Karen Emergency Relief Committee (Mone Township) announced on 21 September 2024 that social and charitable organizations providing aid to flood victims in Mone Township, Taungoo District, Bago Region, have faced threats and obstruction from SAC.

“SAC wants to control all humanitarian activities. We see this as their attempt to gain political and military benefits. They are clearly exploiting the situation for their own advantage, while we have repeatedly emphasized that humanitarian work should not be politicized or militarized. SAC’s actions reveal their intention to profit from this crisis,” said Padoh Kler Say.

Due to these obstructions, 66 villages located on the eastern banks of the Sittaung River and 37 villages on the western banks, with a total population of 484,453 people, are currently receiving assistance from the Mone Township Emergency Relief Committee, according to an official from the committee.

“Charitable organizations and civil society organizations (CSOs) are facing numerous obstacles. There are checkpoints in places like Kanyutkwin and Phyu town, and they are not allowed to pass through. Despite these difficulties, we have formed emergency relief teams at the village and township levels to provide as much help as we can to the flood victims,” the official explained.

Additionally, it was mentioned in the Karen Emergency Relief Committee announcement that SAC’s troops have been obstructing and confiscating supplies from charitable organizations and social welfare groups trying to provide aid to flood-affected residents in Mone Township. There have also been incidents where the military fired artillery into flooded areas.

“We were only able to reach Oakpyat Village in Phyu Township. We had to leave the donated supplies there because we were not allowed to proceed further into Mone,” said a donor who had attempted to assist the flood victims in Mone Township.

A flood victim from Mone Township also shared that the people are in dire need of food, medicine, and support for reconstruction efforts due to the blockade imposed by SAC on those trying to help.

“We have lost everything—our houses and our belongings. The paddy fields have been destroyed. We desperately need assistance, not only for our daily needs but also to rebuild our houses and replant the paddy fields,” the victim said.

The junta’s propagandists have claimed on social media that the restrictions on donations to flood victims in Mone Township, an area controlled by the KNU, are due to landmine risks in the region.

Currently, nearly nine hundred thousand people across Myanmar have been affected by the floods and the acting Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated USD 4 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for immediate response efforts, according to a statement from UNOCHA-Myanmar.

In contrast, the junta’s statement claims that only 150,000 people have been affected by the floods, with 384 reported deaths due to the disaster.