[Myanmar] Floods Worsen in Southeast Asia, Nearly 3 million Affected

[News_Editor]

People make their way through a flooded area near the Mekong river in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. Floods have claimed at least 30 victims, since heavy rains spawned by tropical storms over the past two weeks caused the Mekong river to break its banks and inundate thousands of communities across 10 provinces in Cambodia, according to local media. REUTERS/Samrang Pring (CAMBODIA – Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT)

BANGKOK– Flooding in Southeast Asian countries has worsened and has killed nearly 100 people and affected nearly 3 million in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, the Red Cross said.

The floods, caused by heavy monsoon rains and a succession of storms that have passed over the region, have killed at least 95 people and displaced tens of thousands, according to figures from the Red Cross and the United Nations.

The floods in Laos, which began in June, are reported to be the country’s worst in 35 years and have killed at least 20 people and affected 350,000, the Red Cross said, adding that food, drinking water and medicines are needed at once.

In Cambodia, up to 30 people have died and some 374,000 are affected, the United Nations said. More than 67,500 houses and 500 schools have been flooded, roads, bridges and other infrastructure are damaged and there are concerns Typhoon Wutip could worsen the situation in already flooded areas.

In Vietnam, more than 100,000 people in four provinces were evacuated before Typhoon Wutip made landfall on Sept. 30. Over 150,000 houses were damaged or collapsed as the typhoon passed, leaving almost 80,000 households sheltered by friends and neighbors, the Red Cross said.

Government figures in Thailand show that nearly 8,000 villages in 29 provinces have been affected by floods since Sept. 17. A total of 2.1 million people live in the affected areas.

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Source: Irrawaddy.org