Myanmar reels from deadly floods in west

Rescuers in Myanmar are battling rising waters after severe monsoon floods swept across Rakhine and Chin states, leaving at least three people dead and entire villages submerged.

The latest toll, released on 9 July by the humanitarian services of the Arakan Army, confirmed three fatalities as swollen rivers inundated homes and farmland. Local volunteers warn the situation could worsen if water levels continue to rise. “Our concern is what happens if the water levels rise any further, especially when it comes to evacuating the elderly, the sick, pregnant people and those living in low‑lying areas,” said rescuer Bo Aung Thein in Kyauktaw Township.

Residents describe scenes of devastation. “Our village has around 200 houses, and only one or two left unsubmerged. The rest have been flooded. All the padi fields are submerged too,” said May Thein Yaine, 49, from Kyauk Kyat. Another villager, 24‑year‑old Thuzar Aye, voiced fears for her family: “I’m terrified that if the water rises any higher again at night, we’ll have nowhere left to shelter and no way to escape.”

The floods add to Myanmar’s mounting humanitarian crisis. Since the military coup in 2021, the country has been gripped by civil war, with transport and communication networks severely disrupted. The United Nations estimates more than a third of the population faces food insecurity, a situation now compounded by the destruction of crops and homes in flood‑hit areas.

As rescue efforts continue, the disaster underscores the vulnerability of communities already struggling under conflict and economic hardship. For many in Rakhine and Chin, the rising waters are not just a natural calamity but another blow in a relentless cycle of crisis.

-2026-07-13