Typhoon Yagi death toll climbs to 226 in Myanmar
1. UNOCHA estimates 631,000 people affected by flooding; state media says crops over 600,000 acres destroyed
YANGON: The death toll from flooding in Myanmar, following the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, has surged to 226, state media reported on Monday. This figure marks a sharp increase from the previous count of 113. In addition, 77 people remain missing after the storm triggered widespread flooding, devastating rice paddies and other crops across 640,000 acres.
Typhoon Yagi struck over a week ago, impacting northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar with powerful winds and torrential rain, resulting in floods and landslides. Official reports indicate that more than 500 people have been killed across the region.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates that 631,000 people have been affected by the flooding in Myanmar alone. The agency has urgently called for food, clean water, shelter, and clothing, but noted that blocked roads and damaged bridges are severely hindering relief efforts.
Communication challenges, especially in remote areas, have delayed updates on casualties. According to the *Global New Light of Myanmar*, more than 150,000 homes have been flooded, and the military junta has opened over 400 relief camps to provide assistance.
The UN's World Food Programme has described the floods as the worst in Myanmar’s recent history, though specific details were not provided. Severe flooding also struck the country in 2011 and 2015, both claiming over 100 lives. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis left more than 138,000 people dead or missing.
Over the weekend, the junta made a rare appeal for international aid, with UNOCHA stressing the urgent need for additional resources. Myanmar’s military has historically resisted foreign humanitarian assistance, including after Cyclone Mocha in 2023, when travel permits for aid groups were suspended as they attempted to reach a million displaced people.
Even before the floods, Myanmar had been grappling with the effects of three years of conflict between the junta and armed resistance groups, forcing millions from their homes.
