The death toll from the catastrophic flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar has surged to 226, doubling from the initial count of 113, according to state media reports. As rescue operations continue, 77 people remain missing. The aftermath of Yagi has left a trail of destruction, with villages swept away, crops decimated, and more than 150,000 homes submerged under floodwaters. The worst flooding in Myanmar’s recent history has also triggered fears of prolonged food insecurity, as nearly 640,000 acres of rice paddies and crops were destroyed.
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The typhoon, one of the strongest storms to hit Southeast Asia this year, also battered northern Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, killing over 500 people across the region. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates that 631,000 people in Myanmar alone have been affected by the flooding, creating an urgent need for food, drinking water, shelter, and medical supplies.
Relief Efforts Hampered by Infrastructure Damage
The ongoing rescue and relief efforts in Myanmar have been severely obstructed by damaged roads, collapsed bridges, and power outages, particularly in remote areas. The Myanmar government has opened 388 relief camps across nine regions and states to provide temporary shelter for those displaced by the disaster. Despite these efforts, many residents in isolated areas are still awaiting rescue, with reports of people trapped on rooftops or in trees, as floodwaters rose rapidly.
According to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), the floods are the worst Myanmar has experienced in recent memory. Local media reports indicate that many villagers have been forced to organize their own rescue missions, as government assistance has yet to reach some of the worst-hit areas. An official from Naypyitaw described how the water levels rose faster than expected, leaving residents with no time to save their belongings.
Humanitarian Crisis and Foreign Aid Appeal
Myanmar’s military junta, which has been grappling with the effects of a three-year civil conflict following a coup in 2021, has made a rare public appeal for foreign aid. On Sunday, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing urged the international community to provide humanitarian assistance for flood relief efforts. India has already sent 10 tonnes of aid, including dry rations, clothing, and medicine. However, UNOCHA has warned that more resources are urgently needed to address the escalating crisis.
Myanmar has been criticized in the past for blocking or restricting foreign humanitarian aid, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in 2023. This time, however, the scale of the disaster has prompted the military government to acknowledge the need for international support, despite ongoing conflict in the country.
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Myanmar is not alone in facing Yagi’s wrath. In Vietnam, the typhoon has killed at least 287 people, left 38 missing, and caused an estimated $6 billion in damages, destroying vast areas of farmland and infrastructure. Thailand, too, has seen a rise in fatalities, with 45 dead and over 28,000 homes impacted by floods. The region’s vulnerability to increasingly severe tropical storms has been linked to the global climate crisis, which has contributed to more frequent and intense flooding events.