Myanmar: Floods and Landslides - Sep 2023

Severe weather conditions continue to trigger floods in multiple areas, compounding the already precarious living conditions of people affected by ongoing armed clashes which continue across the country. In Sagaing, approximately 1,000 people from six wards in Kale Town were relocated to safer locations on 8 September due to flooding. (OCHA, 19 Sep 2023)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting southern Myanmar since 8 October, causing widespread floods and resulting in casualties and damage. According to ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) and media, as of 9 October due to floods more than 12,155 people have been internally displaced, of whom 12,000 in Bago Township of Bago Region, 100 in Taikkyi Township of Yangon Region and 55 in Kyaikhto Township of Mon State due to floods. (ECHO, 10 Oct 2023)

According to media reports, as of 11 October, there have been five fatalities and 35 people have been injured. Some 27,300 people are reported to have been displaced, including people who had already been displaced and were staying across 47 relief camps. About 2,800 houses have been damaged. (ECHO, 11 Oct 2023)

On 12 October, water was discharged from the Se Taw Gyi dam located in Madaya township within the Mandalay region. This discharge followed a period of heavy rainfall, which led to the unexpected flooding of several villages in central Myanmar's Mandalay region. According to reports more than 30,000 people were compelled to evacuate their homes, leaving their possessions behind. (IFRC, 22 Oct 2023)

The impact of these floods on agriculture has been severe, especially in the Southeast. According to partners, around 100,000 acres of paddy were damaged in Bago, with townships including Bago, Daik-U, Htantatbin, Gyobingauk, and Zigon being the hardest hit. Both ready-to-be-harvested and already-harvested paddy crops were damaged. [...] In response to flooding in the Southeast, local and international humanitarian organizations initiated immediate relief efforts to address the emerging needs in the affected areas. In Bago, 45 temporary relief sites were established to aid flood-affected communities in 9 villages in Bago township. These sites accommodated 5,920 households affected by the flood. [...] The humanitarian community continues to face access constraints across Myanmar, mainly due to ongoing military operations; administrative restrictions, including refusal of Travel Authorizations (TAs) and issues around NGO registration; and physical constraints caused by the Monsoon. (OCHA, 10 Nov 2023)