Continuous heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding in central Myanmar, especially in Sagaing Region, submerging many villages and rice fields and forcing residents to evacuate their homes.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that since July, severe monsoon flooding in Sagaing, Rakhine, Ayeyarwady, and Kachin States has affected approximately 390,000 people. Sagaing Region alone accounts for about 230,000 affected individuals. Residents in Wetlet town, Sagaing, described the flood situation as severely distressing, with many families forced to flee rapidly rising waters, barely able to salvage their belongings.
The situation is even worse for displaced persons from Myanmar’s ongoing conflict. Some refugees live in small temporary shelters that have been completely submerged by floodwaters, making rescue efforts and salvaging possessions impossible.
Beyond homes, the floods have heavily damaged agricultural land. Many rice seedlings have been washed away by currents, preventing farmers from returning to planting in the near future since the fields remain underwater.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement stated that as of 11 August, heavy rains and river overflows in Sagaing Region have forced over 11,400 people from 3,220 households to relocate to temporary shelters.
In Wetlet, some villagers remain to tend livestock, sheltering on upper floors of their homes and using tarps for temporary cover. They rely on instant noodles and bottled drinking water delivered by rescue workers via boats.
One resident revealed that before receiving aid, they had to boil the muddy floodwater for drinking due to insufficient clean water supplies.
OCHA warned that the flooding in Myanmar could remain severe for several days or weeks ahead, as monsoon rains continue and water levels in major rivers stay dangerously high.
Meanwhile, the floods have damaged homes, shelters, infrastructure, and farmland, increasing the demand for food aid, clean water, healthcare services, and livelihood restoration support.
Experts also caution that although monsoon rains are vital for regional agriculture, climate change is causing rainfall patterns to become more erratic, unpredictable, and potentially more intense.
Source:channelnewsasia
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