Cyclone Mocha claimed many more lives than previously thought. The Rohingya Muslim minority in particular was hit by wind speeds of more than 250 km/h. They usually live in primitive dwellings because they have been politically persecuted for decades.
Cyclone Mocha has apparently claimed many more lives in Myanmar than previously thought. At least 400 people were killed in the tropical cyclone in Rakhine state on the west coast, a spokesman for the National Unity Government (NUG) said on Tuesday.
The dead are mainly members of the Rohingya Muslim minority, who have been persecuted for decades in the former, predominantly Buddhist Burma.
The “government of national unity” is a kind of democratic shadow government formed after the 2021 military coup as an alternative to the ruling junta. She had tried to warn people about the cyclone in advance and organize international aid for the victims.
Strongest cyclone in years
It was the strongest cyclone to hit the region in more than a decade. The tropical cyclone made landfall in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh on Sunday with winds of more than 250 km/h. The full extent of the damage is only slowly becoming apparent.
News site The Irrawaddy also reported at least 400 deaths in Rohingya camps around the town of Sittwe. Many drowned or were killed by falling trees. Since the coup, many more displaced people are living in makeshift shelters in the region because of the junta’s continued violence. Countless people had barely been able to protect themselves against the fierce gusts of wind and heavy rain.
The aid organization Oxfam had previously said the storm had a “huge impact” on the lives of the internally displaced. “We call on the international community to provide the resources necessary to enable them to live lives with dignity.”
No deaths in Bangladesh
In Myanmar and Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands were evacuated from the storm as a precaution. In Bangladesh, this has apparently saved many lives: according to the authorities, no deaths have been reported so far. Still, the damage around the town of Cox’s Bazar is considerable.
About a million Rohingya refugees live there in the world’s largest concentration of refugee camps, mostly in homes made of bamboo and plastic sheeting. Thousands are in need of assistance there, according to the United Nations.
The powerful tropical storm had awakened memories of the destructive cyclone “Nargis” 15 years ago: Nearly 140,000 people were estimated to have died in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta in May 2008.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
