New Delhi - House rents in Burma's cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta has hit an all time high as a result of humanitarian groups including United Nations aid agencies taking based in the area to help cyclone survivors.
A local resident of Laputta town said rent for a simple one flat house has rise to more than 100,000 Kyat (approximately US$ 80) per month from what use to be about 20,000 to 30,000 (US$ 23), after several aid groups have been deployed in the town.
"Usually, house rents are never so high and landlords don't always have people to rent their houses," the local said.
Two storey RC buildings are now being rented at a price of more than 400,000 kyat (US$ 300) per month, said the local, adding that the demand for renting houses is soaring as more non-governmental organizations and aid groups are wanting to take based in the town.
According to him, there are at least 6 International NGOs and several other national NGO beside private donors, taking based in the town.
Two months after the deathly Cyclone Nargis hit Burma's coastal regions, aid workers said emergency relief is yet to be reached to all survivors while reconstruction is just beginning to take place.
According to the UN's World Food Programme it has open warehouses in Bogale, Laputta and Pyapon towns, from which it is redistributing food supplies to cyclone victims.
"Everyday we see a lot of aid workers moving in the town and there seems to be a huge number of them," a teashop owner in Pyapon town told Mizzima.
While helping cyclone survivors, humanitarian groups including the UN aid agencies do not only meet with soaring high price rents, but are also having to deal with the high cost of logistic support including renting of vehicles and boats to carry aid supplies.
Renting a small boat, which can carry about 30 to 40 rice baskets, cost about 50,000 kyat (US$ 38) per day and large boats that could carry at least a 100 baskets of rice cost about 100,000 kyat (US$ 80), a local aid worker in Laputta town.
He added that renting trucks or four wheeler vehicles is about 10 million to 20 million kyat (US$ 1,500) per month and is only possible for INGOs and UN agencies due to the high rent charges.
Despite the high charges, the aid worker said, both boats and vehicles are being continuously rented as boats and vehicles are the only way to reach to cyclone survivors in remote areas.
"We are renting large boats with 100,000 kyat per day," said the aid worker.
