UNITED NATIONS, Sep 19 (IPS) – At the beginning of September, the dangerous tropical cyclone Yagi, hit Southeast Asia and South China, causing great damage. According to the United Nations (UN), wind speeds of up to 213 kilometers per hour, along with heavy flooding and severe landslides, have devastated the affected areas. Yagi is the strongest natural disaster to hit the South China Sea in three decades, leaving more than 500 people dead, 38 missing, and 1,900 injured.
Authorities estimate that 292 people have been killed in Vietnam and more than 100 in Myanmar. The spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the number of people who died may be even higher than what was previously reported and that this typhoon affected more than 631,000 people.
The typhoon and subsequent floods caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, such as water treatment systems, resulting in a large number of water-borne diseases and widespread water insecurity. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that approximately 400,000 families are left without clean water.
Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are at the forefront of the affected areas to distribute clean water and water purification tablets. “Clean water is essential to help prevent food and waterborne disease, and to maintain safe care and operations in health care settings, whether it’s people injured in a hurricane or those who need emergency health care”, said Dr. Angela Pratt. WHO Representative in Vietnam.
Additionally, the Yagi caused extensive damage to thousands of homes across Southeast Asia. The WHO estimates that around 130,000 houses have been destroyed by the heavy floods. Hundreds of health facilities and schools have been damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million children in Vietnam alone are facing long-term disruptions to their education.
Myanmar, in particular, has seen massive migration as a result. Myanma Alinn, a Myanmar government-run newspaper, reports that 438 temporary relief camps have been opened to support the 240,000 people who have been internally displaced.
Myanmar’s disaster management agency told reporters that heavy flooding has led to blocked roads, compromised bridges, and downed power lines, all of which have severely disrupted relief efforts and inter-regional telecommunications.
Yagi has also caused severe damage to the agricultural systems of the affected districts. The latest reports from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development state that this typhoon has blocked more than 97,735 rice fields. In addition, more than 11,746 hectares of vegetables and 6,902 hectares of fruit trees were damaged. This has frustrated Asian farmers, putting them in a financial crisis.
Experts predict that Southeast Asia’s pre-existing concerns about food insecurity will increase significantly. Sheela Matthew, the representative of the World Food Program (WFP) in Myanmar, described the impact of the typhoon on hunger and malnutrition in the affected areas as “horrendous”.
In addition, the economy of the affected areas saw huge losses due to this typhoon. Strong winds and flash floods have battered Vietnam’s largely agricultural Red River Delta, destroying production areas. According to the government’s first assessment, it is estimated that Vietnam saw a loss of up to 1.6 billion dollars.
Currently, the UN and its agencies are distributing food, drinking water, and hygiene items to families in the most affected areas. They are also monitoring waterborne disease levels in the coming weeks and months. The UN predicts that approximately $994 million will be needed for response efforts. So far, only $252 million has been raised.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
