The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will provide 640 tents to the displaced victims of violence in Rakhine State, according to project director Kay Thi Khaing.
“On May 1, we will go and give the tents to the refugees in townships including Kyaukphyu, Sittwe and Myebon,” she said. “These are materials that the refugees urgently need.”
Johannes G. Ten Feld, the UNHCR representative in Myanmar, explained that KOICA’s donation of US$260,000 worth of tents to the refugees is part of a UNHCR initiative.
Soe Win, a Kyaukphyu local, said that the new tents are arriving just in time for monsoon season. “During the monsoon, water will leak into tents and strong winds cause damage. The weather can affect the refugees’ health.”
Korean government agency KOICA said it donated tents and tarpaulin to the refugees in Rakhine State last July for the first time. It said in a statement that it has now donated $510,000 worth of materials.
