Violent Floods in Myanmar affect more than 100,000 People
Myanmar has been hit by torrential monsoon rains since the beginning of July, causing extensive floods and exacerbating the already precarious humanitarian situation as a result of the armed conflict that has affected the country since 2021.
Heavy floods in Myanmar. The country is regularly facing natural disasters like in this photo | © J-P. Bremaud/ HI
According to the Myanmar Red Cross, over 100,000 people had been affected.
As of 2 nd of August, the floods had killed at least 4 people, including a child swept away by the floodwaters in the region of Bago; and three people in the Myawaddy township. The death toll could quickly rise, as the rivers have not yet begun to recede.
The precarious conditions caused by the flooding are leading to a significant risk of epidemics, while cases of cholera have been detected in the affected areas. The extent of the damage and humanitarian needs remains difficult to assess, given the lack of public information shared on the floods. HI teams on the field are closely monitoring the situation.
Humanity & Inclusions current work in Myanmar
The first operations started 2008, following cyclone Nargis, mainly focusing on an emergency response.
HI’s teams train medical teams in hospitals, including the emergency departments of children's hospitals in Yangon and Mandalay, in disaster preparedness, and advocates for the development of national disaster preparedness plans. They also train organisations of people with disabilities in disaster risk management and taking into account the needs of the most vulnerable.
Since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and even more since the political crisis from February 2021, economy and financial services have collapsed and foreign investments have decreased, announcing a strong setback in the level of development and putting at risk of extreme poverty more than 50% of the population.
