People in Need provides aid to people affected by floods in Myanmar

Published: Aug 29, 2018 Reading time: 2 minutes
People in Need provides aid to people affected by floods in Myanmar
© Foto: Nina Tramullas

Myanmar has been severely affected by floods during the last few weeks, especially the Bago region and Mon and Kayin States. The flooding has led to the displacement of thousands of people and a humanitarian crisis in which People in Need is assisting.

The particularly heavy monsoon rains since July 9 have flooded rivers in the area and many villages are still under 1-2 meters of water. As the rains continue, other problems, like a lack of food, are rising. Livelihoods and income generation opportunities have vanished; there is no way to produce or buy food in the area.

According to Myanmar Government’s Department of Disaster Management, at least 20 people have died from the heavy monsoon rains and more than 158,000 people have been displaced across the region since the beginning of monsoon season.

People in Need (PIN) Myanmar’s country program conducted an assessment on 3rd August when the situation was becoming critical. After careful follow up from the field, PIN decided to provide humanitarian food aid in Kayin region – the main request by the majority of villagers interviewed - where there has been little recovery and the outlook is bleak.

Thanks to the solidarity of People in Need’s Club of Friends, the country program in Myanmar had funds to provide aid last week. In cooperation with local authorities, PIN distributed food to 580 households in four villages (Kwat Kyeik, Kwat Naing Htoo, Htan da bin and Sin Kyone) that had received little aid from the humanitarian sector because of remoteness and poor roads. These villages had not been supported by the local government, as authorities were centralizing aid in the camps placed in the state capital of Hpa-An.

The food sets containing rice, cooking oil, iodized salt, and drinking water were distributed among the most vulnerable population, like people in completely flooded homes, woman headed households, and households with children.

Monsoon season in Myanmar is always long, lasting from May until October. But this year’s has been particularly heavy; residents say it’s the most powerful they have experienced in decades. People in Need has plans to distribute food in four more villages in Kayin state. PIN is also submitting proposals to large donors in order to provide aid for school rehabilitation, food and non-food item distribution, and income generation through temporary employment on public projects.


Autor: Nina Tramullas, PIN Myanmar Communication Officer

Related articles