Extensive flooding has swept across northern Myanmar following a week of continuous heavy rains, aggravating the already precarious situation in areas long afflicted by civil conflict and recent natural disasters.
A local source from the Catholic community in Kachin State told Vatican’s Fides News Agency that the situation in the districts affected by natural disasters is “serious”.
“Floods have inundated the upper part of Kachin State; villages in the mountainous areas are underwater, as are refugee camps in the city of Chizaw. Many rivers, such as the Malikha, have overflowed, and agricultural lands are completely flooded due to the continuous rains,” the source said.
In Sagaing Region’s Laeshi City, farmlands and riverside villages have also been submerged. The source noted that while river levels typically peak later in the season—around June or July—this year’s early rains have caused premature and devastating flooding.
The timing is particularly damaging, as it coincides with the harvest season, leading to substantial crop losses.
The source added that the affected population, made up largely of farmers, had already been struggling under the weight of ongoing armed conflict.
The March 28 earthquake further displaced thousands and damaged homes and infrastructure in the same region.
With the added burden of flooding, many communities are now at breaking point. The demand for humanitarian assistance is growing rapidly as displacement figures rise.
Meanwhile, a new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights highlights the worsening humanitarian crisis across Myanmar.
The report, set to be presented at the UN Human Rights Council in early July, describes the national situation as “increasingly catastrophic, marked by incessant atrocities that have affected all aspects of life.”
The economic collapse since the 2021 military coup has deepened the suffering. Myanmar is estimated to have lost around $94 billion, and projections suggest the country’s GDP will not return to pre-coup levels before 2028, even under favorable conditions.
The UN Human Rights Council has called for “a multifaceted response to the crisis,” urging “urgent humanitarian support, cross-border assistance for displaced populations, and increased political commitment” from the international community.
