Volunteers in the flood-hit Karen State town of Hlaingbwe are carrying the bodies of Covid-19 victims to the local cemetery on boats and have received no help from junta-controlled authorities in dealing with deaths from the virus.
“It’s really hard to get to the cemetery as the water is as high as our chests,” a spokesperson for the Myanmar Rescue Organization Hlaingbwe told Myanmar Now. “Since we can’t just carry the bodies on our shoulders, we have to use boats.”
As well as difficulties with transportation, the volunteers are also facing a shortage of protective suits, said the spokesperson, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.
The group has delivered six bodies of Covid-19 victims since July 24, when the flooding started. A total of 20 people have died of the disease in the town since early July.
The military council has helped to resettle flood victims and provided food supplies but has not given any assistance for Covid-19 cases, the spokesperson said.
Rescue workers in other parts of southeastern Myanmar say they have received no help from the junta in responding to the floods.
The floodwaters in Hlaingbwe have not let up for five days and houses in three neighbourhoods have been completely submerged. Camps for those who have left their homes have been set up in three neighbourhoods where the flooding is less severe.
The National Unity Government’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has warned people to expect heavy rains in Mon State and Tanintharyi Region until August 1.