Report on field visit of Director of Karuna Pathein

Report on field visit of Director of Karuna Pathein to flood affected areas in Tharbaung township Purpose: To have personal understanding of the situation and supporting the flood affected victims. Date: August 24 , 2012 Persons involved: Fr.Henry Eikhlein (Director) , Fr.Josephat Soe Lwin, Vicar forane of Pathein Zone, Mr. Alphonse (guide) Means of travel : By Car from Pathein to Tharbaung, by boat from Tharbaung to villages 1. Location Pathein district is composed of 7 townships; Pathein, Tharbaung, Kangyidauk, Yekyi, Kyaunggon, Kyone Pyaw, Ngaputaw. Except Ngaputaw township, all the 6 townships are affected by recent flooding occurring since first week of August. Tharbaung is the area most affected by the recent flooding. Situated in low lying land, Tharbaung area is at risk and prone to flooding every year during rainy season in July, August and September. The area was hit by flooding notably in 2004 and this time flooding is the most affecting and damaging to the local people. This time all 70 village tracks are under water and now still in the process of recovering. 2. Visiting two villages 2.1. Kon Tan Gyi village Situated in west of Tharbaung town, 30 minutes of travel by boat from Tharbaung. All 90 houses are flooded and the only way of transportation in the village moving from house to house is in by means of small canoes. The majority of villagers are Catholics and have one village chapel, a Marian Shrine, a house for Clergy and visitor. There is a government supported primary school built in wood with zinc roof of 20 x 40 fts size, not in solid condition and can collapse at any time by strong wind. Karuna Pathein has sent two 2 volunteer teachers headed by a school master native of the village. There are 60 children ( boys and girls) from grade 1 to 5, of the same village. 60 % of the households in the village have farmland cultivating paddy for their livelihood and the remaining others are seasonal workers depending on the farmers of big lands. There is no dispensary in the village. For healthcare the villagers have to depend on clinics in Tharbaung. 2.2. Nga Man Chaung village Situated in the west of Tharbaung town and a neighboring village of Kon Tan Gyi. The village of Nga Man Chaung has existed about 60 years ago, established by the displaced people during the time of Japanese occupation in Myanmar 1941-1945. No household is originally of the village and instead, coming to take refuge in this location rich of soils for paddy cultivation. There are about 200 houses in the village composed of Buddhists, Baptists, and Catholics. Buddhists and Baptists are the majority. 50% of the population in the village are farmers and the rest are seasonal workers. There is one government primary school, Baptist Chapel and Catholic Chapel and a Buddhist monastery. World Vision, INGOs is doing development works in the village and doing relief services by providing food items to the flood affected people a week before Karuna Pathein arrived to distribute the food items to the villagers. 3. Findings from meeting with villagers Group meeting was conducted in both villages attended by the some village leaders, men and women, and young people. Altogether about 10 members participated in group meeting at Kon Tan Gyi and 9 members gathered in group meeting held in Nga Man Chaung. This group meeting was conducted in the afternoon for about one hour and at random. Prior to thes group meetings Karuna Pathein staff distributed rice to the villagers in the morning respectively at Kon Tan Gyi and Nga Man Chaung.  The flooding this year is very unusual and exceeds their normal expectation with regard to level of water rising and longer duration of rainfall occurred which put them unprepared.  Fortunately there was no storm and strong wind during the flooding period. Otherwise there could have been more damages of properties and loss of lives.  Such unusual flooding occurred in 2004, meaning more than ten years ago but this year flooding has caused more disturbances and damages though no human life is lost.  The two villages are under water during every monsoon from June to September. However such phenomenon did not occur over 30 years ago. The main reasons of flooding is due to heavy and continuous rains added by the bad consequences of unnecessary dams and fishponds installed in the areas by the government sponsored business man. Being located in low land areas, Tharbaung township is the most affected when such unusual phenomenon occurs.  Taking the past experiences and lessons learned for about 30 years, the farmers in the villages begin the rice plantation only after they are sure that the rains will stop and the water level will not come up again in mid of September or in month of October every year. They store paddy seeds in safer place until they are sure for beginning the nursery for rice plantation usually in the beginning of September. But for this year due to this unusual flooding, the rice farming works will be delayed and will be able to start, may be, only in October as fears of another flooding is threatening.  No other NGO and government offices arrived for emergency relief until 3rd week of August after flooding occurred. World Vision INGO took care of food items distribution in Nga Man Chaung but not in Kon Tan Gyi. Only Karuna Pathein has arrived on August 23-26 distributing rice, based in 3 villages ( Kon Tan Gyi, Nga Man Chaung, Kon Su) for about 4 kg of rice per person for about 5600 beneficiaries without discrimination of race and religions.  There is no social disorders and confusions like robbing, theft, violence, taking place in the villages though faced by natural disaster. All are well ordered and managed under the administration of capable village leaders.  The villages could manage to stay in their own villages and no displacement in the camps. When some poor family houses built in bamboo and thatch sheets can no longer stand for increasing water level, they all gather in stronger and solid houses built of woods and bricks. In this way that 4-5 families can take refuges in one solid house. 4. Challenges and Recommendations People living in Kon Tan Gyi and Nga Man Chaung and other surrounding villages will be challenged by this form of natural disaster ( floods) in almost of every rainy season. In the perspective of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), some measures with regard to minimizing the hazards and risk need to be taken seriously. It is good that they know how to keep their seeds and some food items in safer places in preparation for facing disaster. The village of Nga Man Chaung has planned to collect from community as security food item ( rice) in coming summer and store it in safe place. The same action should be planned by other neighboring villages in view of food security of each village. Only few houses in the villages are solid and strong, built of wood and on high wood or concrete posts. The villagers would be strongly recommended to build their future houses on solid and high level foundation posts to prevent them from being submerged under waters while flooding in the areas. This practice of defense mechanism will assure them of more security physically and psychologically. The training like DRR needs to be given to the villagers so that the practices of getting early warning systems, doing village maps, understanding seasonal maps, preparing for security packages, forming emergency task force teams in the village can be assured. In this way that the village will be prepared both in skills and knowledge for any emergency response. 5. Conclusion As this one day visit was organized and made in view of having more personal understanding of the situation and supporting the flood affected victims through Karuna Pathein Staff in distributing rice, both the Director and the Vicar Forane of Pathein Zone has come back with full understanding of the difficult situation faced by the people in Tharbaung township. Seeing the two villages as sample, understanding of the whole areas can be extended. The needs are still huge even at emergency phase and still more will be in the phase of rehabilitation. Unless these local people are well equipped with DRR concepts and skills, prepared with strong infrastructures ( buildings, means of transportation, food security etc), their worries for life will not do down even though the water level has gone lower at the moment. Until this moment Karuna Pathein has covered townships of Kyone Pyaw, Kyaunggon, Kangyidauk, Pathein and Tharbaung about 50 villages distributing 1000 sacks of rice ( 50000 kilo g) to 125000 beneficiaries with discrimination of race and religions. Karuna Pathein staff are now being deployed in the affected township to continue collecting more detailed data assessment while applying for Emergency Appeal through coordination of KMSS National Office to Caritas Internationalis (CI). Glad to learn and see the other organizations like World Food Programs of UN, Red Cross, World Visions, Baptist Churches and some political parties responding to the urgent needs of the people affected by the flood in Pathein district comprising in 5 townships. Now the rains have stopped and the water level going down, however still there is fears of another waves of flood threating the region in October according to National Weather Forecast Department. Local people are being traumatized by flood and now living under fears of natural disaster. Karuna Pathein is planning to send some staff trained in Pyscho Social Support to provide some awareness sessions on trauma healing as it has been done in Cyclone Nargis response in 2008. Karuna Pathein is committed to continue providing social services to all the people in need and affected by disaster following the Catholic Social Teachings as guide in close collaboration with KMSS National Office. Reported from Office of KMSS-Pathein (Karuna Pathein) August 26, 2012 NB: Progress report on August activities on Emergency Response by Karuna Pathein (KMSS-Pathein) will be provided in a separate report.