The death toll from the junta’s recent flooding in Myanmar has risen to 33 people, with more than 235,000 individuals displaced. Swathes of farmland in central regions, including around the capital Naypyidaw, have been inundated, causing widespread damage. Landslides have been reported in hilly areas, but damaged infrastructure has made it difficult to gather information accurately.
The Sittaung and Bago rivers in central and southern Myanmar remain above dangerous levels, although water levels are expected to decrease in the coming days. Authorities in Myanmar have opened 82 relief camps to provide shelter for those displaced by the floods. However, ongoing heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong River in Thailand has raised concerns about further flooding in the region.
The floods have added to the challenges facing Myanmar, where more than 2.7 million people have already been displaced by conflict. Myanmar’s junta chief recently made a rare request for foreign aid to help manage the flood devastation. The military has previously hindered international humanitarian efforts, such as suspending travel authorizations for aid groups responding to Cyclone Mocha last year.
Thailand’s weather office issued warnings of more heavy rain in provinces along the Mekong River, indicating the potential for additional flooding in the region. The effects of human-caused climate change are leading to more intense weather patterns and an increased likelihood of destructive floods. A study published in July found that climate change is causing typhoons to form nearer to the coast, intensify more rapidly, and persist over land for longer periods, exacerbating flooding risks in vulnerable areas like Myanmar.
The UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar and the International Committee of the Red Cross have not yet commented on the junta’s request for foreign aid. The challenges posed by the junta’s restrictive policies and the impacts of climate change on extreme weather events highlight the urgent need for international assistance and cooperation to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
