Closely watching the floods in Myanmar
FED is saddened by the ongoing floods in Burma/Myanmar, which have now taken the lives of 100 people and affected 1 million people since July 16, 2015. The west of the country has been hardest hit – 4 western states have been declared disaster zones, particularly Rakhine state. In total, 8 of Myanmar’s 12 states have been affected, and this has been worsened by Cyclone Komen.
Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, has been badly damaged. Unfortunately, Rakhine state is home to the Rohingya ethnic group, who are widely discriminated against in Myanmar, and there are reports of affected Rohingya being turned away for assistance. The UN estimates that there has been extensive damage to camps housing 140, 000 Rohingya in Rakhine. As well, 100 houses have been destroyed by landslides in Chin state, and Haka town of Chin state is now inaccessible due to landslides. The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation has said that more than half a million acres of rice paddy fields have been flooded. In Ingapu townships, 42 out of 80 districts have been submerged. 6000 flood victims from these townships have been relocated to relief camps.
Several international bodies including the UN, and other countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, US, Australia, and Japan, have pledged assistance. FED, along with other organizations, has been collecting donations which will be personally delivered to those affected in Myanmar.
Check the website http://www.myanmarflood.info/ for updates and information about the floods.
