Hardship continues 2 months after Myanmar quakeーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
Two months after a major earthquake hit Myammar, the suffering continues. NHK Wars Yamaka Mishtaga went to the country recently. He shows us how one man is taking care of some of the most vulnerable people affected by the disaster, children. It’s almost like time has stood still since March 28th. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake devastated this northwestern town. My two-story building collapsed. I was trapped under debris and rescued, but I lost four members of my family. Just hearing a car door slam makes me worry another quake will hit. W is a monk. His temple has been taking in children who lost their homes and those who lost their parents due to the ongoing fighting between the fa and prodemocracy forces. They number about 150 and are between two and 16 years of age. Many of them are traumatized. The most important things for kids now are medical care and education. During the rainy season, illnesses such as influenza increase. May is 13. She lives here with her family. Woo letter has me especially worried about her. Living through the fighting and the earthquake has made it difficult for her to speak. But we l hangs on her every word. There is still a long road ahead for Mayun lay mount and many of the other kids but she had started opening up and fighting her way to cope. Now I help my mother with the housework and at her work. I also tell myself that such a devastating quake will not happen again. That gives me peace. I would appreciate it if more people were helping children learn how to cope with life after an earthquake. I only hope that more support will reach many children and that they will be able to live life happy and healthy. Yamaka Mishtaka joins us now from our Bangkok bureau to discuss the situation in Myanmar. So Mishtaka, it’s so heartbreaking to see so many children suffering. Um, one of the ways to help them is by rebuilding their communities. How is that going? Infrastructure such as electricity and water is coming back but slowly many challenges remain. First people have to actually get rid of all the debris. Authorities say that will take several months and rebuilding will be a lengthy difficult process that due to rising costs of housing materials and the labor shortage. It’s worth mentioning that food supplies are getting to the affected areas quicker compared to a month ago, though it’s still not fast enough. Um, now what about the fighting? Um, the military and pro-democracy forces declared a temporary ceasefire to prioritize the relief efforts. Is that still holding? The military has extended it until Saturday, but the real question is, has there really been a ceasefire to begin with? Local media report this is the aftermath of an air strike on the school earlier this month. It killed more than 20 children. Another air strike the following day reportedly killed or injured dozens. Prodemocracy forces blame the military. They claim that the military has conducted hundreds of air strikes since the quake, killing more than 400 people. The military denies this. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian nations are urging all parties to extend the ceasefire. It’s a very complicated situation. What kind of supports do the people in Myar needed? There are the obvious ones, of course, food and water, supplies, housing, but as was the case following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, there’s a big need for privacy. Many women and children tell me they are suffering mental health problems due to the lack of privacy. Some women also say they are worried about being abused by their partners due to all the stress caused by the disaster. And the situation may soon get worse. Schools and public facilities are set to reopen next month. Authorities are asking people living there to leave. Something that stuck out to me during my trip to the country was what one woman told me. She said she knows her life would continue to be difficult, but she wants to cherish that life and remain positive about the future. A remarkable sense of hope in a country that needs so much help. Thanks for the Mishka Mishtaka. NHK was Yamaka Mishtaka reporting from Bangkok.
A monk in Myanmar is helping children left homeless due to a devastating earthquake that hit in March. The country has also been dealing with fighting between the military junta and pro-democracy forces. NHK World’s Yamaka Michitaka explains the challenges and the needs. #myanmar #earthquake
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