Border municipal takes over housing project in Rakhine's Maungdaw

Border municipal takes over housing project in Rakhine's Maungdaw

Published on Thursday, 02 May 2013 00:22

The Border Municipality will take over the construction of housing for the Maungdaw residents in Rakhine State from Care Myanmar due to slow progress, according to the state government.

"The construction is now underway so that people living under temporary tents will be able to move in before the rainy season," said Hla Thein, chairman of Information and Records Committee under the Rakhine State government.

"The rain and wind came after the Water Festival. It's been over ten months but the houses haven't been built yet. When the rain and wind came, I have to run to seek shelter at the monastery with my children even at night. I hope the house can be built before the rainy season," said a 60-years-old woman from the refugee camp at Bawdikone village.

Care Myanmar undertook the task to build a total of 123 houses - 103 houses in Thayaekonebaung village and 25 houses in Kinchaung –, but has not been able to start the construction.

UNHCR started the construction in December and has finished building 80 out of 222 houses in Maungdaw Township.

The Ministry of Border Affairs has been tasked to build 202 houses and nearly all of them have been completed.

More than 130,000 people fled their homes due to the communal violence that began last June. More than 40,000 Bengali and 3500 Rakhine refugees remain in camps for internally displaced people in the state, according to official figures.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/05/02/border-municipal-takes-over-housing-project-in-rakhines-maungdaw/