A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
Though the monsoon started in early June 2016, the later floods brought by monsoon rains that have been pounding parts of Myanmar since late July have affected a number of townships in Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Magway and Yangon region and to some extent, Kachin State. According to the figures released by the Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD) on 9 August, at least 377,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the six states with Magway being the most affected area – where some 60,000 people have been displaced. Five people have died – two in Sagaing, two in Kachin and one in Yangon. Many schools remain closed across affected areas.
Flood waters are gradually moving south towards the Ayeyarwady Delta. Monsoon conditions persist and is moderate to strong over the Andaman sea and the Bay of Bengal, threatening further rainfall.
State and local governments are leading the response, sandbagging vulnerable areas along river banks and providing food, water, relief items, cash and some construction materials to affected people. The Emergency Operations Centre has not been activated at this stage and the response is mostly being managed at the State/Regional level using existing resources. The government is coordinating with the Red Cross and civil society organizations which are providing relief supplies including food, water and oral rehydration salts, as well as assistance with evacuations.
The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has indicated that the swelling of rivers in upper Myanmar comes as the country enters what could be the peak month of the monsoon season.
Summary of the current response
Local authorities on state and regional level, the Union Government, as well as the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) and local civil society organizations have responded to the situation, carrying out rescue operations and providing food, water, blankets, clothes, medical care and other basic necessities to those affected. Populations have evacuated to higher ground and to temporary sites, including monasteries and schools.
MRCS volunteers in branches throughout the affected areas have been active and prepared to respond since the beginning of the disaster. The emergency response teams (ERTs) and the national disaster response teams (NDRTs) as well as emergency community volunteers were mobilized. They assisted in the evacuation of affected households to temporary sites and higher ground, in conjunction with local authorities and RRD. Warehouse preposition stock was checked (current stock so far: hygiene parcel – 473, jerry can – 196, drinking water (water bottle 1 liter) – 7,800, water purifier – 24,480 etc.). MRCS has launched its operational response plan aiming to cover five regions (Yangon may be included at a later stage upon further assessment) with 21 townships. MRCS is aiming to support up to 20 per cent of the affected population. However, the impact of subsequent rainfalls in the coming weeks may demand a greater response beyond MRCS’s capacity. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), on behalf of the MRCS, has requested for an initial support from the IFRC’s disaster relief emergency fund (DREF) to complement the MRCS current response plan to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of the affected population.
The MRCS Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was activated for this response on 6 August, together with the Standard Operating Procedures for floods situations. The Emergency Task Force had its first meeting on 7 August to plan for the response. MRCS staff – from multiple departments but coordinated by the DM department - are working from the EOC in national headquarters (NHQ) in Yangon, supported by the IFRC country office. The EOC is not 24 hours operational but members of the Operation Response Team (ORT) and volunteers in Yangon are on shifts to coordinate information and response actions.
MRCS EOC is also keeping regular communication with government staff that normally belongs to the National EOC to ensure updated information. MRCS and IFRC are closely coordinating efforts with local authorities (especially RRD), UNOCHA and other UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations in the affected townships and at Yangon level.