Myanmar's flood damage rising

The Department of Rural Development announced that it will have to spend Ks9 billion repairing around 88 flood-damaged roads and bridges. 

Magway Region so far tops the official list with 20, followed by Bago with 14, Rakhine with 13, Mandalay with 12, Ayeyawady and Sagaing regions with 10 each, Kachin with five, Shan with two and Kayin and Kayah states with one each. 

In mid-July, floods hit about 40,000 houses, including basic infrastructure and affected more than 400,000 people, according to the Department of Relief and Resettlement. 

The government said it would take short- and long-term measures to carry out repair work. Currently, the floods have receded in Kachin, Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway. 

But 24 townships in Bago, Ayeyawady and Yangon are still under water. The government and social organisations are providing assistance to flood victims. 

As of early this month, an estimated 147,000 people had been evacuated in Magway Region as the Ayeyarwady River floods. 

"We're working with governmental and non-governmental organisations to provide assistance. There are more victims than the last year," said MP Kyaw Htay from Magway.

Aunglan Township said nearly 10,000 residents had been evacuated because of the Ayeyawady River with over 20 schools closed and more than 1,000 acres of plantations submerged.

The township has also opened two temporary shelters for flood victims.

Bago's Pyay Township has opened temporary shelters for more than 24,000 flood victims after the Ayeyawady flooded. 

Ayeyawady Region's Hinthada District has more than 17,000 victims taking shelter in nearly 70 temporary camps, according to official figures.

According to the statistics of Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, over 16,000 acres of farmland and a total of 400,000 farms across the country were inundated as of August 8. About 346,861 acres of paddy fields were destroyed. 

Kachin State was the most affected, with 11,643 acres of land being flooded and 1,179 destroyed 

The situation in other states and regions:

Nay Pyi Taw, 148 acres of farmland were flooded and 76 acres were destroyed.

Chin State, 71 acres were flooded and 28 acres were destroyed.

Sagaing Region, 23,897 acres were flooded and 1,830 acres were destroyed. 

 

 

Private sector help 

Private companies have joined hands to help, forming a network to help reduce the number and severity of disasters and assist in coordinating responses.

UMFCCI Joint-Secretary General Aung Zaw Oo announced last week the newly-establishment Private Sector Network group.

“The Private Sector Network group will seek to expand our role into coordination, as well as working with other stakeholders including the Government and UN Agencies,” he said.

The group formed following a presentation and wide-ranging discussion about past disasters organised by the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yangon last Wednesday. The inaugural meeting of the group will be held at the UMFCCI’s Lanmadaw office on Tuesday, August 30 and other representatives from the private sector would be invited to participate.

Joining the network are:

- Ooredoo

- Telenor

- Htoo Foundation

- Ayarwaddy Foundation

- Sky Net

- KBZ Bank

- FMI

- UMFCCI

- EUCharm

- INGOs