Mocha cyclone

On 14 May 2023, an extremely severe Cyclone Mocha crossed the coast between Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Rakhine State in Myanmar with the wind estimated as high as 250 kmph, making it one of the strongest cyclones on record to hit the country. Preliminary report suggests significant damage in Rakhine, Myanmar. Extremely strong winds brought down power lines, uprooted trees, and damaged and destroyed houses. The cyclone has devastated coastal areas, leaving hundreds of thousands of already vulnerable people without a roof over their heads with the monsoon just weeks away. The cyclone also brough heavy damage as it advanced inland bringing strong wind, heavy rain and flooding across areas in Chin, Sagaing, Magway and Kachin. On 15 May, the National de facto authorities under Section 11 of the National Disaster Management Act declared all 17 townships in Rakhine to have been affected by the cyclone Subsequently, on 16 th of May 4 out of the 7 townships in Chin state were also declared as disaster affected areas by de facto National Authorities under Section 11 of the National Disaster Management Act. WHO along with health partners have extended support to the emergency response of the Ministry of Health, providing critical and lifesaving assistance to affected communities in affected areas. WHO IEHKs being loaded in Myanmar for prepositioning. Photo credi t:UNOCHA Myanmar/2023

A month after Cyclone Mocha made landfall in the Bay of Bengal, bringing untold destruction in its wake, the United Nations has denounced a decision by Myanmar’s military junta to block humanitarian access to regions of Rakhine state that are most affected. In a “This decision is yet another devastating setback for more than a million people whom humanitarians had planned to reach with life-saving assistance in cyclone-hit Rakhine state over the weeks and months ahead,” Balakrishnan said in the statement. “Just when vulnerable communities need our help the most, we have been forced to stop distributions of food, drinking water, and shelter supplies.” The junta’s decision was Diplomat Brief Weekly Newsletter N Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. Get the Newsletter On the afternoon of May 14, Cyclone Mocha made landfall near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, bringing rain and stinging winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, devastating large parts of the coast. As Nazifa Nawar Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month. The cyclone has disrupted nearly every aspect of normal life in Rakhine, which had been relatively untouched by the conflict that has erupted across much of the rest of Myanmar. Winds and rain inundated farmlands, killing livestock and contaminating drinking water. The storm destroyed bridges, schools, and hospitals, and blocked roads in many parts of Rakhine. ...

The European Union is releasing €100,000 (over 220 million Myanmar kyats) on top of the previously allocated aid funds to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to families affected by cyclone Mocha that struck Myanmar in mid-May. In the immediate aftermath of the emergency, the European Union allocated €2.5 million in humanitarian aid to provide prompt assistance in response to cyclone Mocha’s impact on Myanmar and Bangladesh. This additional allocation will benefit over 37,000 people in the worst-hit areas, especially those in Chin and Rakhine states, as well as the Ayeryawaddy, Magway and Sagaing regions. This EU funding will support the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) in delivering immediate assistance through the distribution of emergency shelter items, primary healthcare assistance, cash grants and hygiene kits. The aid will also increase access to clean water supplies and sanitation facilities to enable communities to maintain their good hygiene practices whilst recovering. As vector- and water-borne diseases are common in the aftermath of monsoon flooding, awareness-raising sessions on these will also be conducted. The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). More than 140 people were killed and approximately 3.4 million people were affected when the powerful cyclone Mocha made landfall in the capital of Rakhine state, Sittwe, in ...

Attachments • Download Report (PDF | 417.01 KB) In Numbers 3.4 million people are living in Cyclone Mocha’s highest impact zone 1.6 million people targeted for the UN cyclone response At least 800,000 cyclone-affected people are prioritized for WFP’s food and nutrition support for an initial three-month period Highlights WFP has reached 394,400 people across Rakhine State within the first month of its cyclone response with emergency food assistance. WFP’s ongoing market monitoring in central Rakhine showed a decrease in the prices of some food commodities, particularly rice, following WFP’s in-kind food distributions. WFP will face a critical interruption in all its life-saving activities, starting from August 2023, without a fresh injection of critical funding. WFP urgently needs US$60 million to ensure uninterrupted emergency food and nutrition assistance. Situation Update • The impact of Cyclone Mocha exacerbated an already precarious food security situation, particularly in townships and displacement sites in Rakhine State, where households experienced a substantial loss of food stocks and livelihoods, with their shelters destroyed. Local relief and recovery efforts are ongoing across several cyclone-affected areas. • WFP’s initial rapid situation monitoring in five cyclone-affected townships showed that agricultural land, fishponds, and drinking water supplies have been impacted by saltwater intrusion. Extensive crop damage, including rice seed stocks for the planting...

Cyclone Mocha at peak intensity approaching Myanmar on 14 May Meteorological history Formed 9 May 2023 Dissipated 15 May 2023 Extremely severe cyclonic storm 3-minute sustained ( Highestwinds 215km/h (130mph) Lowestpressure 931 Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone 1-minute sustained ( Highestwinds 280km/h (175mph) Lowestpressure 918 Overall effects Fatalities 145 total (ASEAN) – 463 total (NUG) Injuries 719 Missing ≥101 Damage $1.5billion (2023 Areas affected Part of the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Mocha Thousands of volunteers assisted citizens of Myanmar and Bangladesh in evacuating as the cyclone approached the The death toll for Cyclone Mocha varies significantly. Meteorological history [ ] Residents in the affected area told Reuters that up to 100 Rohingya people may have been killed, although the news agency could not verify the fatality count. News site Bangladesh [ ] At least 2,522 houses in Cox's Bazar were destroyed, with another 10,469 others damaged. Sri Lanka [ ] Although the impact of the cyclone on Sri Lanka was significantly reduced by its landfall between Bangladesh and Myanmar, seven people were injured, Elsewhere [ ] In India, the state of Mizoram, at least 154 houses were destroyed or severely damaged and 82 others and eight refugee camps were partially damaged. A total of 5,749 people in more than 50 villages were affected by Mocha. Aftermath [ ] Myanmar [ ] The state of Rakhine was declared a natural disaster area by military officials. On 23May...