Wed Sep 18 01:54:34 UTC 2024: ## Myanmar Floods and Landslides Leave Over 200 Dead, Hundreds Missing
**Naypyitaw, Myanmar** – The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi and seasonal monsoon rains in Myanmar has reached at least 226, with 77 people still missing, according to state-run media. The disaster has pushed the total number of deaths from the storm across Southeast Asia past 500.
The accounting of casualties has been hampered by communication difficulties in affected areas, further complicated by the ongoing civil war that has gripped Myanmar since 2021. The military government, which seized power from the elected government, controls a significantly smaller portion of the country’s territory than it claims.
Typhoon Yagi previously battered Vietnam, northern Thailand, and Laos, claiming nearly 300 lives in Vietnam, 42 in Thailand, and four in Laos. The Philippines also reported 21 deaths and 26 missing due to the storm.
The UN estimates that 631,000 people in Myanmar have been affected by the flooding, adding to the existing humanitarian crisis. Prior to the recent floods, there were already 3.4 million internally displaced people in the country, primarily due to ongoing conflict and unrest.
The flooding has been particularly severe in central Myanmar, including the regions of Mandalay, Magway, Bago, and the Ayeyarwaddy Delta. Eastern states like Shan, Kayah, Kayin, and Mon have also been severely impacted, along with the capital Naypyitaw.
While water levels have receded in some areas, the situation remains critical in Shan and Kayah states. Over 160,000 homes have been damaged, and more than 160,000 flood victims are currently housed in 438 temporary relief camps. The military government has announced that nearly 240,000 people have been displaced.
The floods have also caused significant damage to infrastructure, including government buildings, schools, religious buildings, roads, bridges, power towers, and telecom towers. Furthermore, nearly 130,000 animals have been killed, and over 259,000 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged.
The UN has highlighted the urgent need for food, water, medicine, clothing, shelter, and sanitation supplies for flood victims. However, relief efforts are being hampered by blocked roads, damaged bridges, and ongoing armed conflict.
Myanmar has received relief aid from other countries, with additional humanitarian assistance from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expected to arrive soon.
The military government has acknowledged the unprecedented extent of flooding in Naypyitaw and has initiated clean-up and rehabilitation efforts as water levels subside.
Myanmar experiences extreme weather during the monsoon season almost annually. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis killed over 138,000 people around the Irrawaddy River delta. The then-military government’s slow response to the disaster, delaying the acceptance of international aid, further damaged its reputation.
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