Yangon August 12
Myanmar flood death toll neared 100 by floods and torrential rains across Myanmar since June, official say, with nearly 1 million people affected as fears intensify for the country’s crucial rice bowl region.
More than 1.2 million acres (486,000 hectares) of rice fields are currently under water, with more than 430,000 acres destroyed by the floods, according to government data.
Flooding and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains that began in late June were compounded by Cyclone Komen.
The impact was felt in 12 out of Myanmar’s 14 states and divisions, with 99 people dead and 1,016,167 affected, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement announced in state-run media on Monday.
International aid has been stepped up in recent days following an official government request for help. The United Nations pledged $9 million in assistance this past week, but so far most of the help has come from private citizens and non-governmental organizations.
Myanmar usually sees flooding in the monsoon season but this is some of the worst in decades. The junta had refused outside help in the wake of a devastating cyclone in May 2008, at least 130,000 people dead or missing in the disaster.
Poe Aung
The Myawady Daily, Page(19)
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