The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is gearing up to launch a rapid flood response this week in Myanmar to provide emergency food assistance to people in areas submerged by floods following the passage of Super Typhoon Yagi over the past few days. This response is a major scale-up in WFP flood relief efforts ongoing since July.

Bago, Kayah, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, Mon, Nay Pyi Taw and Shan states have been facing heavy rains, severe flooding and landslides caused by the Super Typhoon that hit Myanmar on September 11th. The floods have so far caused several hundred deaths and affected at least 631,000 people across the country.

“Super Typhoon Yagi has caused the most severe floods in Myanmar’s recent history. Much of the country is submerged and some areas are witnessing their first floods in decades”, said Sheela Matthew, WFP Myanmar Representative. “The impact on food security will be nothing less than devastating. More than 13 million people were already facing food insecurity in August before the floods hit. Our teams are working around the clock to respond to the growing needs”, she added.

WFP will provide a one-month ration of emergency food, including rice, fortified biscuits, and nutrition products to up to half a million flood-affected people, ensuring immediate food needs are met. Meanwhile, WFP teams are working with partner organisations to assess the impact on crops, livelihoods, and people’s ability to access food.

Prior to Typhoon Yagi, WFP had already reached 185,000 flood-affected people in Myanmar with emergency assistance in July and August in response to floods that inundated hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland.

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