Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Myanmar

Myanmar: Tropical Cyclone Mora - Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) DREF n° MDRMM009

Attachments

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

Tropical TC Mora (TC Mora) began as a tropical depression on 25 May, bringing days of torrential rains to Sri Lanka resulting in floods and landslides which have affected half a million people. Since 29 May, the tropical depression intensified into a severe cyclonic storm which tracked northeast across the Bay of Bengal. TC Mora hit the coast of Bangladesh between Cox's Bazaar and the city of Chittagong around 6 am local time on 30 May with winds up to 117 kilometers per hour. In Myanmar, TC Mora affected the state of Rakhine, particularly Northern Rakhine. It also affected other states and regions such as Chin, Ayeyarwady, Magway and Sagaing but initial reports indicated limited damages in these areas.

Official estimate for total number of people affected by the cyclone in Myanmar is not yet available. However, initial results government led assessments and from MRCS rapid assessments that were conducted on 30 and 31 May indicated that 12 out of 17 townships in Rakhine State were affected by the cyclone . These initial figures indicate 14,482 houses partially or fully damaged in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships ( 7,320 houses partially and 3,351 houses fully damaged in Maungdaw township; 2,948 houses partially and 863 fully damaged in Buthidaung township), and 1,630 houses damaged mainly in Sittwe, Minbya and Rathedaung townships. However, it is important to note that MRCS has less capacity in northernmost Maungdaw township, and these initial figures have been collected in close coordination with township disaster management committees. Initial numbers of damages reported by OCHA is significantly less. However, as of now, OCHA numbers have not been verified.

Additionally, the national level Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD) has reported some damage to buildings, including schools, across townships in Rakhine. Initial information also indicated that a significant number of longhouses and other infrastructure, including latrines and temporary learning spaces, have been destroyed or severel y damaged in existing IDP camps in Sittwe and Pauktaw townships. Additionally, two townships in Ayeyarwady, one township in Chin State and one township in Magway region (Salay) are reported as affected by strong winds and heavy rains, whereas Hakha and Mogok township (Mandalay Region) have been affected by landslides.

The context in Rakhine state has been characterized by decades of protracted tension and communal violence, resulting to the displacement of 145,000 people in 2012. Violence flared up again in October 2016 in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships, causing up to 94,000 people to flee their homes to either other parts of northern Rakhine or across the border into Bangladesh. As part of the security response, access to some areas, including by humanitarian organizations, has since been denied. As access constraints remain, it is difficult for any actor to operate in the affected areas of northern Rakhine. Although authorities have allowed some organizations to conduct needs assessments in Maungdaw and Buthidaung, the data is still to be verified and a comprehensive assessment has not been conducted on the damages caused by the cyclone.

At the time of writing this EPoA, distribution of NFIs has not yet started in the said townships and authorities continue to invoke security concerns to postpone access.