The People Need More Than Token Gestures of Drought Assistance

By Burma Partnership • May 17, 2010

Burma is facing severe drought and water shortages throughout the country, due to unusually high temperatures and late monsoon. Water levels have been declining in the last month, but have now attained critically low levels. The situation stands to deteriorate further as there is an increased risk of cholera and other diseases linked to dirty drinking water.

As in previous natural disasters such as Cyclone Nargis in 2008, the junta has so far failed to come to the aid of the people. In Dala Township, across the river from Rangoon, the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) has provided some water to the people. However, it has not been enough for the whole town and does not arrive on a regular basis. In Arakan State, the USDA has also been drilling wells which locals report is only an attempt to buy votes in the lead up to the elections.

In the face of lacking assistance from the regime, citizens and non-governmental organizations are trying to provide enough water to the people. The women’s wing of the National League for Democracy has been distributing water in Pegu Division, where ponds and water sources in more than 60 villages have dried up. UNICEF is also distributing water, along with volunteers who have received donations from Burmese overseas. The Free Funeral Services Society has also been donating water around Rangoon. See more photos.

As they did in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, junta officials have been harassing volunteers in Pegu Division, setting up checkpoints to collect information about where the donations are coming from, who they are benefitting, and who is doing the work.

Other than the USDA’s token water donations, there has not yet been any serious emergency assistance from the junta—showing that the regime has little regard for the well-being of the people of Burma, even in the face of natural disasters. If the regime is unable to provide meaningful assistance in response to disasters such as Cyclone Nargis or the current water shortages, it must at the very least allow volunteers and relief organizations to do their work unhindered. We hope that international aid agencies will resist against the junta’s restrictions and continue to provide much-needed assistance in Burma.