Region is in urgent need of shelter, clean water, food aid and health care services: UN

BANGKOK: At least 54 people have died and more than 1.85 lakh buildings have been severely damaged since the devastating Cyclone Mocha hit Myanmar late last week. Cyclone Mocha, which formed in the Bay of Bengal last Sunday, hit western Myanmar's Bangladesh and Rakhine State, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the region.

Due to the cyclone that hit near Sittwe Township of Rakhine State, strong winds are blowing in the area with a speed of about 209 km per hour. However, it weakened into a tropical cyclone moving towards the interior of the country on Monday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said homes and infrastructure had been largely destroyed in Rakhine State.

He said the region is in urgent need of shelter, clean water, food aid and health care services. The UN office said that there are growing concerns about the spread of water-borne diseases in flood-affected areas. Rakhine state is at the center of the decades-long ethnic conflict in Myanmar. The impact of the cyclone was also felt in the northwestern part of the country, where a large number of houses either collapsed or were washed away, the UN office said. Strong winds and rain also caused heavy damage to camps for displaced people in Kachin state.