Burma’s Free Funeral Service Society (FFSS) has teamed up with several well-known celebrities to deliver relief supplies to victims of flooding in Hlegu, a town 40km north of Rangoon.
Residents in Hlegu’s Ngwenantha and Balar villages have been desperately in need of food and fresh water since their neighbourhood was hit by monsoonal storms three weeks ago, inundating hundreds of homes.
FFSS founder Kyaw Thu, a former actor and film director, said the humanitarian effort was supported by private philanthropists, actors and celebrities.
“Our mission to Hlegu included FFSS volunteers and celebrities including Yadana Khin, Thinzar Wint Kyaw and Khin Wint Wah,” he said. “We delivered dry bread, bottled water and instant noodles to some 1,500 people.”
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Zaw Sai, an FFSS team member, said locals in Hlegu were delighted to see TV stars visiting them and delivering aid.
“As the area is mostly inaccessible by car, the locals came to pick us up us on their tractors,” he said.
“The floods have not yet subsided and we had to wade through water to deliver the supplies. Most victims are in need of food and drinking water.”
Charity group FFSS undertook a similar mission on Monday in neighbouring Pegu Division where scores were affected by seasonal floods. The group said it is ready and willing to organise further missions to areas hit by monsoonal floods whenever requested by the local population.
