Severe monsoon flooding since July has submerged villages and rice paddies across central Myanmar, displacing thousands — including people already uprooted by the 2021 coup. The UN estimates about 390,000 people have been affected, with roughly 230,000 in Sagaing alone. Floods have destroyed crops and shelters, intensifying urgent needs for food, safe water, healthcare and livelihood support as relief agencies mobilise.
Monsoon Deluge Submerges Villages and Rice Fields in Central Myanmar, Leaving Thousands Displaced
The UN said that since July, severe monsoon flooding in Myanmar's Sagaing, Rakhine, Irrawaddy and Kachin states has affected an estimated 390,000 people (-)
Severe monsoon flooding has inundated villages and paddy fields across central Myanmar, forcing thousands — including people already displaced by the 2021 military coup — to abandon their homes, aid agencies and local officials said.
"The suffering we are facing, I can't even put into words how painful it is," said Cho Myint, a 53-year-old resident of Wetlet township in Sagaing, standing beside an overturned boat. "We were left with nothing."
Humanitarian Impact
The United Nations reported that since July intense monsoon floods in Sagaing, Rakhine, Irrawaddy and Kachin states have affected an estimated 390,000 people, with roughly 230,000 in Sagaing alone. Myanmar's Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said that as of August 11 more than 11,400 people from 3,220 households had been moved to flood relief centres in Sagaing.
Residents described makeshift shelters used by those displaced by conflict as "completely submerged," with families losing possessions and means of livelihood. "The rice seedlings have already been swept away... In this area, it's simply impossible to plant paddy anymore," said U Sint of Wetlet.
Response And Needs
OCHA spokesman Pierre Peron told reporters the UN does not yet have a complete count of those displaced specifically by the heavy rains, and warned that with several major rivers at or above danger levels, flooding impacts are likely to continue for days or weeks. Humanitarian partners are mobilising to provide food, safe water, health services and livelihood support, but access challenges and continued rain complicate relief efforts.
On the ground: In Wetlet, Aung Ko and a small number of neighbours stayed behind to tend their livestock and shelter on an upper floor beneath tarpaulins, surviving on instant noodles and bottled water delivered by rescuers by boat. "Before the donors came, we had no choice but to take floodwater and boil it to drink," he said, standing in knee-high muddy water.
Climate Context
While the seasonal monsoon provides essential rainfall for agriculture, experts warn that climate change is making monsoon patterns more erratic and, in some places, more intense — heightening risks for vulnerable communities across the region.
Help us improve.
