Myanmar holds a special place in our hearts. It is a place we’ve brought travelers to, where we’ve connected with others and expanded our awareness of other cultures and ways of life. But right now, though you may not find it in top news headlines in the U.S., the people in Myanmar, a.k.a. Burma, are struggling to survive rising waters and flooding that has already claimed lives and displaced thousands of people, and it’s not clear whether the worst is even over yet.

So our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Myanmar.

Here’s what we know as of August 3rd, based on this OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) report:

  • On 30 July, Cyclone Komen made landfall in Bangladesh bringing strong winds and additional heavy rains to Myanmar, which resulted in a significant expansion of monsoonal flood waters.
  • On 31 July, Myanmar President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency for Rakhine State, Chin State, Sagaing Region and Magway Regions as natural disaster zones.
  • Over 200,000 people have been affected and 39 people have been killed across the affected states/regions, and these figures are likely to rise in the coming days as more information surfaces.
  • According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, 524,895 acres of farmland have been inundated since June by heavy rains in the region, which is expected to disrupt the planting season and impact long-term food security.

Other reports claim hundreds have died thus far and millions have been displaced, but as we’ve seen before with natural disasters, tallies like that tend to vary and rise quickly as more information becomes available over time.

So what’s being done to help the people of Myanmar? OCHA reports that the UN and international nonprofit organizations are conducting assessments and scaling up emergency responses, including “through the provision of food, emergency health services, water and sanitation assistance, shelter, mosquito nets, and other relief items.”

Organizations working on relief efforts include UNICEF, which has supported the distribution of 400,000 water purification sachets in Sagaing and has dispatched hygiene kits for some 20,000 people in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Department of Rural Development, and the Red Cross.

U Maung Maung Khin, Head of Disaster Management Division at Myanmar Red Cross Society, describes:

“In Kayin State, one of the worst areas affected by the floods, over 33,000 people have been living in temporary relief camps and many more remain in their communities, in urgent need of help. Red Cross volunteers have been helping people evacuate, providing first aid to those injured and are now distributing relief items such as tarpaulins, blankets and shelter kits.”

UNICEF warns that vulnerable children in Myanmar face a ‘double catastrophe’ as floods add to the hardship faced by children living in poverty and those recovering from violence and conflict.

Myanmar opposition leader Suu Kyi visited flood-hit areas, and images online depict scenes of devastation and struggles for survival.

Stay Informed and Help:

To keep up to date on what’s happening in Myanmar, visit UNICEF’s press page, and the Red Cross’s Myanmar page. If you know of other Myanmar flood relief efforts that readers can support, please share in the comments. Thanks!