Disasters and emergency response
The strongest El Nino in decades is going to mess with everything
It has choked Singapore with smoke, triggered Pacific typhoons and left Vietnamese coffee growers staring nervously at dwindling reservoirs. In Africa, cocoa farmers are blaming it for bad harvests, and in the Americas, it has Argentines bracing for lower milk production and Californians believing that ...
Malnutrition feared in Myanmar's hard-hit flood zones
Widespread malnutrition and food shortages are feared in the aftermath of devastating monsoon floods that wiped out large tracts of the agriculture and livestock industries, according to a new survey report. An assessment team from the United Nations, the World Food Programme and other international aid ...
Water crisis looms as short monsoon, El Nino hit southern reservoir
A large reservoir that supplies water for Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces has seen its water level falling rapidly, signalling a possible severe shortage for the whole region, experts said. “Low rainfall as an impact of El Nino has significantly lowered the water level ...
IMF visits Myanmar for flood recovery and financing talks
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is visiting Myanmar for two weeks to discuss a flood recovery program, which may include emergency financing, sources with knowledge of the meetings said. The IMF delegation arrived on 16 October and has visited flooded areas in Bago Region. Officials ...
Transport problems slow down resettlement in Chin capital
The state government says it has identified a new site for their damaged homes, but the remote location and lack of roads has so far prevented them from bringing in the necessary building materials. U Tin Maung Soe, a director in the Chin State government, told ...
Reconstruction promises exchanged for votes
In landslide-ravaged Chin State, displaced residents say the election has fallen to the bottom of their priority list, causing some parties to fear opportunist electioneering may be in the works. “I have to vote for whoever will give me a house to live in,” said Pu Lung ...
Devastating Myanmar floods send paddy prices skyward
Surging demand following the widespread destruction of paddy fields during the recent flooding has forced a record spike in prices, say the Myanmar Rice Federation and local paddy and rice traders in Naypyidaw. Since September, the price per 100 baskets of Manaw Thukha old crop in ...
Vietnam urged to watch out for disaster risks amid erratic weather patterns
The United Nations has called on Vietnam to have sufficient and predictable funding for its disaster management program, warning that extreme weather conditions will continue to hit the country. Keep reading ...
Provinces in Mekong Delta seeing less rain, may face severe drought
As usual at this time of year, water from upstream in the Mekong River flows forward and causes floods in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces. But so far, water levels at river monitoring portal stations are the lowest ever. The objective reason is the El Nino ...
Yangon flood losses top K11 billon
Yangon is at greater risk than many other parts of the country to natural disaster, said Yangon Region Chief Minister U Myint Swe. Flooding in 14 of the region’s townships caused losses of more than K11 billion (US$8.5 million) this year, he said. Keep reading ...
