The report titled “Cyclone Giri: Two Years On” is published in English and is said to be aimed at drawing local and international attention to the survivors who continue to face hardships in rebuilding their homes and livelihoods.

“Many survivors of the Cyclone Giri in Arakan State are still unable to rebuild their homes and livelihood. We publish this report in order to draw the Burmese government’s and international attention to the ongoing plight and difficulties faced in order to rehabilitate their broken lives”, said Ko Aung Marm Oo, the Executive Director of the AHRDO.

He said the people severely affected by the Cyclone Giri and still facing tremendous challenges to rebuild as their lives are totally forgotten because of the recent communal violence in Arakan State.

“We hope this report will help remind the Burmese government and international community not to forget their plight and the challenges that Giri’s survivors are still facing because of the recent communal violence in Arakan State”, he said.

Ko Aung Marm Oo said the survivors are still in need of local and international assistance to rebuild their houses and recover their livelihoods two years after they were severely affected by Cyclone Giri.

The 130-page report is said to be the first report of AHRDO, published on the second anniversary of the cyclone it documents and highlights the situation in Arakan State before, during and after the cyclone. The interviews with the survivors and the responses by the government and the international NGOs in the aftermath of the cyclone are also presented in the report.

The Cyclone Giri that made landfall with wind speeds of 120 to 160 mph on 22 October 2010 hit hardest on Mraybon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpru and Marmbra Townships in coastal Arakan State. It left at least 259 people killed, over 200,000 people homeless and caused widespread destruction to homes, schools, religious buildings, paddy farms, fishing equipment, roads and bridges in those areas.