Naval vessels and fuel scarce in Hlaymyar flood due to junta's mismanagement, with ineffective aid and warnings against fraudulent fundraising

Ayeyarwaddy Times August 4 In the flood-affected areas of Hlaymyar Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region, ground rescue volunteer groups are experiencing a shortage of naval vessels and a scarcity of fuel. However, the regional junta government, which is responsible for managing the available resources in the region, is only carrying out token actions without providing effective assistance, according to local residents and rescue groups. Furthermore, despite the emergence of organizations and individuals soliciting fraudulent donations on social media platforms and at intersections, citing the current flood disaster, the junta government has been criticized for its extreme irresponsibility in only issuing warnings without effectively preventing or taking action on the ground. Volunteer rescue groups coming from all over Myanmar have had to transport their speedboats from distant regions with great difficulty, and are bearing an overwhelming burden due to the insufficient number of naval vessels. However, on the other hand, hundreds of private pleasure speedboats are parked on land at beaches such as Ngwe Saung, Chaung Thar, and Goryanji within Ayeyarwaddy Region, as the monsoon tourist season has ended. "It highlights the weakness of the government's emergency management that while volunteer groups coming from afar are struggling to provide assistance in the vast waters due to a lack of speedboats, they cannot systematically manage and connect the available speedboats at nearby beaches," a person providing ground assistance told the Ayeyarwaddy Times. Although the junta government has the primary responsibility to coordinate and support available resources in the region during an emergency natural disaster, no support for fuel supply or connection of naval vessels has been seen at all, and only media filming for the regional chief minister's field visits are being carried out as token actions. Currently, five wards in Hlaymyar town and over 40 villages are submerged, with tens of thousands of people affected by the flood, and thousands of acres of rice fields have also been inundated. In addition, over 70 schools in the township have been temporarily closed. Some local residents have stated that the current severe situation is due to the lack of preparedness by the relevant authorities, despite warnings about the condition of the embankment before the floodwaters rose. Although it is said that there is support from the junta government led by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on the ground, food, drinking water, and emergency medicines are still insufficient for thousands of flood-affected people, and shortages are being experienced. Rescue operations are being delayed due to the difficulty in finding fuel for rescue boats and the shortages, and the self-help rescue system of local volunteer organizations and donors is being relied upon more than the support from the junta government. Photo: Social Media