Myanmar Floods Kill At Least 99; Nearly 1 Million Affected

Sean Breslin
Published: August 10,2015

Nearly 100 people have died and at least 900,000 others have been affected by weeks of catastrophic flooding that has forced many villagers into temporary housing in the southeastern Asian country of Myanmar.
International aid is on the way to the hardest-hit areas, the Associated Press reported, as the floodwaters have reached the roofs of some homes. Many have left their dwellings, but some are living in homes inundated by water and refuse to leave, the report added.

In this Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015 photo, a woman swims with her child near their half-submerged residence in Zalun township, Ayeyarwaddy delta, Myanmar.
(AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

Twelve of Myanmar's 14 states have been affected by the flooding that began from heavy monsoon rains in late-June and was worsened by the recent landfall of Cyclone Komen. The flash floods and landslides have been called the country's worst in decades, the AP also reported.
(MORE: Typhoon Soudelor Kills More Than Two Dozen)
Making matters worse for the poor region, the floods have destroyed some 1.2 million acres of rice fields, the BBC said. The highest number of deaths occurred in Rakhine state, and a worker with the International Red Cross told the BBC that the situation remains very desperate in some areas.
The United Nations has pledged $9 million in aid, the AP added. There are fears that the rivers could rise over their banks again as the floodwaters head downstream before making their way to the sea.
Although flood response is expected to be a major factor in the country's November elections, the French Press Agency reports that many of the residents affected by the flooding didn't turn to government aid as the floodwaters rose. Rather, they are surviving on their own or relying on local monasteries or groups in the community, the report added.