Myanmar: Flash Flood Update No.1

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

The consequences of Typhoon Yagi have caused heavy rains, leading to severe flooding, landslides and damage in multiple parts of Myanmar. The continuous flooding has impacted at least 69 townships1 in 9 states and regions, including Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, Magway, Kayah, Bago, Mon, Kayin and eastern and southern Shan. Initial estimates indicate that at least 631,000 people are affected.2 The verification of affected populations remains challenging as the situation is still evolving. Affected areas are still hard to reach due to damaged roads and widespread disruptions to telecommunications and electricity.

The floods have resulted in casualties, displaced families, damaged homes, and have destroyed livelihoods and critical infrastructure, including health facilities, schools, and major highways and bridges. Affected areas include camps for displaced people, including children, who were already struggling with limited services due to ongoing conflict. As per state-run media reports, at least 226 people have been killed due to the current flooding. More than 2,000 houses are completely destroyed, over 10,000 schools are damaged. Crop cultivation have been severely affected in 84 townships and 643,081 acres of paddy and other crops have been impacted.

• In the southeast, Mon, Kayin, Kayah, Tanintharyi are affected by heavy rain, landslides and flash flooding. In Kayin, over 100,000 people are reportedly affected, and the situation is likely to worsen if the flooding continues for an extended period. In Kayah state, floods and landslides have affected Hpruso, Loikaw, Demoso, and Shadaw townships, with villages, internally displaced person (IDP) camps, and farmlands flooded.
• In Southern Shan, 14 townships have been affected by heavy rain and flooding, including widespread impact in Nyaungshwe, Kalaw, Hsihseng, Lawksawk, Pinlaung, and Shwenyaung. Most parts of Nyaungshwe are reported to have been submerged, impacting an estimated 74,000 people including IDPs. Tarchileik, Mangset and nearby townships are also affected in Eastern Shan.
• In Taungoo township in the Bago Region, more than 30 villages were completely submerged after the Sittaung River breached its flood barriers, displacing hundreds of residents. • Partners estimate that over 386,000 people across 10 townships in Mandalay and around 7,000 people from Magway have been affected. Over 100 acres of farmland have been damaged in Mandalay regions, and three villages were swept away,
• More than 60,000 people in four townships are reportedly affected in Nay Pyi Taw as per state-run media.

Across all affected areas, critical needs include access to safe drinking water, hygiene items, medicine, food, shelter, and humanitarian cash assistance. In the time of natural disasters, children are among the worst affected and their safety, well-being, and access to basic services are at grave risk. Acute watery diarrhoea, dengue fever, malaria, cholera and measles are already a threat to children in Myanmar. Ongoing flooding is likely to worsen the situation of water-borne diseases. Numerous schools were forced to close or are being used as shelters, affecting the access to education for thousands of children. The flooding has caused emotional and psychological stress for children and their caregivers, affecting their wellbeing. Family separation and unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in both Magway and Mandalay have been reported through social media, however the data on number of affected individuals is still unknown. There is growing concern that flooding in areas contaminated with explosive ordnance may have caused landmines to shift, potentially contaminating previously safe areas.