MA AN HKAN, 1 April 2011 (IRIN) - The main concern for thousands of survivors of last week's devastating earthquake in Myanmar is lack of shelter.
"We've lost everything. How are we supposed to rebuild?" asked Nan Yone, 75, squatting on the floor of her makeshift tent near the remains of her home in the village of Ma An Hkan in Tarlay Sub-Township, the worst affected area, about an hour's drive from the Burmese border town of Tachileik.
According to the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS), 3,152 people were left homeless by the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck Myanmar's eastern Shan state on 24 March, affecting at least 18,000 people and killing 74.
More than 700 homes were damaged or destroyed, local authorities in Tarlay reported.
A rapid assessment by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and MRCS, with Noble Compassionate Volunteer (NCV) and World Vision Myanmar, found 90 villages moderately or severely affected.
On 30 March, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that in 50 of those affected, more than half of all buildings were damaged or destroyed, while in the remaining 40, the figure was more than 30 percent.
"Many houses were destroyed because they were poorly constructed," Denis de Poerck, acting country director of Save the Children/Myanmar told IRIN from Yangon.
And with aftershocks continuing, many quake-traumatized residents - despite early rains beginning - are not taking any chances, erecting makeshift tents outside.
Photo: Lynn Maung/IRIN 
Many survivors are living in tents
"They construct a temporary tent on the ground just in front of their old house and stay there," said De Poerck.
Traditionally the rainy season begins in mid-May and ends in mid-September, reaching its peak in July and August.
"Many people will catch cold, especially children under-five," an NCV health worker said. "These people urgently need proper shelter before the rainy season officially starts," she stressed.
Despite significant relief efforts to date, more is needed, with many residents picking away at the remnants of their devastated homes in the hopes of salvaging material that might be usable.
According to OCHA, they still need additional material support, particularly non-food items, such as tarpaulins, blankets and household utensils.
Swe Swe Lin, a pregnant mother-of-two, rebuilt her bamboo house with the help of villagers, but does not dare sleep inside it.
"No, not with the aftershocks. It's just safer to stay in the tent now," the 29-year-old said. "I'm not sure whether I would survive the next time and I'm worried about my unborn baby."
lm/ds/mw
Theme (s): Natural Disasters,
Source: http://irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92336
Reprinted with permission from IRIN NEWS
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