IOM Myanmar Flash Appeal : Cyclone MOCHA Response

SITUATION ANALYSIS

Extremely Severe Cyclone Mocha, which made landfall near Sittwe in Rakhine State on 14 May, has left a trail of destruction in Rakhine and the Northwest of Myanmar, encompassing Chin, Magway and Sagaing. Information on the impact of the cyclone initially emerged slowly, as telecommunications were badly affected. Sittwe township suffered the heaviest damage, followed by Rathedaung. Other areas of Northern and Central Rakhine were also severely affected, while Southern Rakhine experienced less severe but still notable impacts. Information on the impact in Northwest Myanmar – one of the areas of Myanmar most affected by conflict and political turmoil since 2021 – is emerging slowly, but early reports suggest that several areas of Chin, Magway and Sagaing suffered damage due to flooding, landslides and strong winds, and according to field observations, several villages and informal displacement sites were severely damaged. The cyclone has affected areas that were already in dire humanitarian need, with more than 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Rakhine and the Northwest alone.