Myanmar’s Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD) yesterday reported that the death toll from the ongoing flood situation affecting wide areas of the country now stands at 46. Further assessments are being carried out and it is a concern that the figure will continue to rise.
The floods have now affected around 217,000 people in Sagaing and Magway Regions, and Kachin, Chin, Kayin, Rakhine and Shan States. The ASEAN Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) report that flooding has “inundated more than 1 million acres of farmland, with 520,000 acres reportedly damaged. This may affect the food security and demand ratio in the affected areas”.
The situation is now so grave that the Government of Myanmar have appealed for international assistance. UN Agencies and International NGOs have scaled up the emergency response. About US$ 1.2 million worth of emergency and relief items have already been distributed by the government to help flood victims.
Further rain is expected in the coming next days in Chin, Rakhine, Sagaing and Magway.
Help for Myanmar Flood Victims – Where to Donate
Red Cross
There is a Red Cross office in Myanmar. The website is at www.myanmarredcrosssociety.org
The address and telephone number are as follows:
IFRC Myanmar Delegation:
Red Cross Building
No. 42 Kannar/Strand Road
Botahtaung Township
Yangon, Myanmar
Telephone: 01-383682
Fax: 01-383686
For those outside of Myanmar who may wish to donate to Red Cross efforts, the British Red Cross have set up a special donations page here.
More than 1,000 Red Cross volunteers are working in evacuation centres and elsewhere to help people caught up in the disaster. Volunteers are finding out the scale of the damage, giving first aid and psychological support, and helping search and rescue efforts. They have also given out essential items such as mosquito nets, cooking pots and soap. The Red Cross say:
“with many areas still flooded, thousands more people need urgent help”
Donations can also be made via the Australian Red Cross, who have also set up an appeal information page here.
Save the Children
Save the Children Australia say that they are extremely concerned about the situation, and have deployed emergency teams to assess the damage in the worst affected areas.
“We do not yet have a clear picture of the scale and impact of this emergency, but we expect those affected numbers to rise rapidly as we continue our assessments on the ground,” said Jose Ravano, Acting Country Director for Save the Children in Myanmar.
“But in the areas of Rakhine State and Magway Division that our teams have been to, at least 14,000 families have been affected. Schools are shut, families have been displaced and homes are flooded.
“We expect urgent needs from the affected population in the coming days to include food, water, shelter materials, warm clothes and newborn and hygiene kits. Families who have lost their livelihoods will also need long-term recovery support, and schools will need rehabilitation.
“The Government of Myanmar is now mobilising resources to support the affected population. Save the Children is ready to support wherever needed.”
Save the Children will focus on protecting children who are especially vulnerable during natural disasters because they are at greater risk of being swept away in floods waters and contracting water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea.
Find out more about helping children affected by the floods in Myanmar and donating to Save the Children here.
