At least 54 people were killed and more than 185,000 buildings were destroyed in Myanmar as a result of the powerful cyclone “Mocha” that hit the country last week, according to the state-run MRTV channel, Thursday.
Communication difficulties in the affected areas, where the infrastructure was already poor, as well as the military government’s strict control of information, make the actual scale of the losses and destruction unclear.
Cyclone Mocha hit the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, bringing strong winds and rain to some areas of neighboring Bangladesh and a large area of Rakhine state in western Myanmar.
It made landfall near Sittwe town in Rakhine with winds of up to 209 kph, before weakening to a tropical depression by midday Monday as it moved inland.
In the context, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure was seen throughout Rakhine State.
“The urgent needs include shelter, clean water, food aid and healthcare services,” he added.
There are growing concerns in the flooded areas about the spread of waterborne diseases as well as landmines” spread by Myanmar’s decades-old civil conflict.
“The impact of the cyclone was also felt heavily in the northwest of the country, where houses were blown away by winds or washed away by water,” he said. Strong winds and rains also damaged IDP camps in Kachin State.”
