Flooding in south east Asia continues – Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam have all seen severe floods over the last few days. Karen state in southern Myanmar is the latest region to be suffering. As many as 25,000 people are believed to have been evacuated after prolonged heavy rainfall. Around 80 relief camps have been set up for those displaced. Hundreds more have been displaced in Mon and Rakhine states. Landlisdes and poor road conditions are hindering rescue and relief operations.
Chum Hre, director of the social welfare, relief and resettlement department told AFP on wednesday 31st July 2013:
“It is very difficult to reach some of the disaster-hit places because of the bad weather and landslides,” he said, adding that helicopters had been deployed.
Floods Across South East Asia
Thailand has also seen some severe flooding over the last few days, with some flooding now just over the border from Myanmar. There are also currently flood threats in Vietnam where one fatality has been reported, and also in Indonesia in Sulawesi and the city of Ambon in Maluku, eastern Indonesia.
Previous Floods in Myanmar
Myanmar also suffered from severe floods in Auguat 2012. Then the government figures stated that 85,000 people were displaced by heavy flooding in the Irrawaddy Delta. Around 250,000 hectares of rice fields were flooded, placing extra pressure on the agricultural sector in the country. The 2012 floods were down to unusually heavy monsoon rains. In the same region 4 years earlier 130,000 people died in the 2008 cyclone.
Sources: The Australian; BBC
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