Bangladesh provides 120 tons of relief materials to Mocha affected families in Rakhine

Bangladesh has donated 120 tons of humanitarian aid to Rakhine State in western Myanmar, which faced the cyclone Mocha recently.

The Bangla navy ship named Samudra Joy carried the relief materials, sent by the Bangladesh foreign ministry. The ship left Chittagong on 3 June and arrived in Thilawah port in Yangon on 5 June, reported Dhaka Tribune, a media outlet of Bangladesh.

The relief materials include dry food items, tents, various medicines and water purification tablets.

The Dhaka-based government handed over the materials to the representatives of Myanmar military council for the benefit of cyclone affected people of Rakhine State.

The Bangla embassy in Yangon in charge ASM Sayem handed over the relief materials to Aung Win Thein, Myanmar social welfare minister on Tuesday, said a foreign ministry press release.

“This humanitarian aid has been sent as assistance to the people of Rakhine State following the direction of Bangla Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” said Sayem.

In earlier occasions too, Dhaka sent life-saving relief materials to Myanmar people after the floods and cyclone Komen hit the country in 2015 and also cyclone Nargis in 2008.

Officials from Myanmar foreign affairs ministry, social welfare ministry and the navy were present on the occasion. Similarly, the concerned officials of Bangla foreign ministry, Bangla embassy, consulate in Sittwe, the navy were present.

India sent 25 tons of relief materials to Myanmar, followed by Thailand with 20 tons of relief materials. ASEAN countries also donated items worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

But the irony is that those materials are yet to reach Rakhine State. So, the locals apprehend that the recent relief items will also not reach the Rakhine people.