Myanmar, Bangladesh - Tropical cyclone MOCHA, update (GDACS, UN OCHA, UNICEF, UN News, UN Bangladesh, MOEZALA, BMD, Copernicus EMSR) (ECHO Daily Flash of 17 May 2023)

The passage of the tropical cyclone MOCHA on 14-15 May over western and northern Myanmar (Rakhine, Chin, Magway, Sagaing and Kachin states) and south-eastern Bangladesh (Chattogram Division) has caused widespread damage, with the number of casualties being larger than initial estimations.

In Myanmar, across all the aforementioned affected states, DG ECHO and UN OCHA reported 41 fatalities, around 700 injured people, approximately 100,000 evacuated and 5.4 million affected. The worst affected is western Rakhine, which includes several Rohingya Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, which have been significantly damaged. In Chin, over 1,200 houses were partially or fully destroyed. Approximately 50 destroyed houses were reported across Sagaing. Severe flooding has affected more than 100,000 people in villages in Magway and Sagaing.

In Bangladesh, UN reports, as of 15 May, nearly 430,000 affected people, over 2,000 destroyed houses and more than 10,600 damaged houses across the Chattogram Division. Rohingya refugees camps in the Cox's Bazar area were severely affected.

The Copernicus EMS was activated in rapid mapping mode (EMSR661) on 12 May for Myanmar and four satellite maps were produced so far.

Over the next 24 hours, more heavy rainfall is forecast over both countries