Floods kill 25 as Myanmar reels under strikes

At least 25 people have died in upper Myanmar after days of torrential rain and dam water releases triggered severe flooding, compounding the misery of communities already displaced by civil conflict. Opposition authorities say more than 450,000 residents across 21 townships have been affected, with Sagaing Region bearing the brunt.

The National Unity Government’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs reported on 12 August that eight people remain missing. Thousands of acres of farmland are submerged, raising fears of long‑term food shortages. Civilians in flood zones face a grim double threat: rising waters and continued airstrikes by the military junta, even as displacement camps and villages are washed away.

“Roads, bridges, phone lines and power are all down. While dealing with the floods, we are terrified of airstrikes — it is double the trouble,” a resident of Shwebo Township told local media.

Relief efforts are hampered by damaged infrastructure and financial blockades. Aid workers report critical shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies, particularly for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Volunteers say trucks carrying relief were turned back at checkpoints, while regime forces have reportedly airlifted supplies only to villages controlled by junta‑aligned militias.

The Irrawaddy River and its tributaries remain dangerously swollen, with meteorological authorities warning of further heavy rainfall over the Bay of Bengal that could trigger flash floods and landslides in Chin, Rakhine, Karen and Bago regions.

Local resistance groups accuse the military of deliberately obstructing aid to Sagaing, a stronghold of opposition forces. Residents say authorities have threatened arrest and property seizures for anyone attempting to deliver relief to resistance‑held areas.

The crisis recalls the devastating floods of 2015, when volunteers were able to travel freely to help victims. This time, security conditions and restrictions mean many communities are left to fend for themselves.

With more than 220,000 people affected in Sagaing alone, Myanmar’s humanitarian emergency is deepening. For those stranded between floodwaters and airstrikes, survival depends on fragile local networks, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing aid agencies and the opposition government.

-2026-08-14