Tropical Cyclone Mocha hit Myanmar’s Rakhine with brutal force on 14 May. One of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in Myanmar, cyclone Mocha made landfall between Cox’s Bazaar and Kyaukpyu township, approaching the coast with maximum sustained winds of around 250 km/h and wind gusts of up to 305 km/h before continuing inland and impacting communities with heavy rain and winds on 15 May.
A Flash Appeal was launched to prioritize immediate assistance and address needs generated by the cyclone and its aftermath in communities across five states and regions – Rakhine, Chin, Sagaing, Magway, and Kachin. An estimated 7.9 million people live in areas that experienced winds over 90kmph during the cyclone. Of these, 3.4 million faced destructive winds of more than 120 kmph, placing them at very high risk given the poor shelters in these locations and their pre-existing vulnerabilities. Initial observations showed widescale destruction to homes and public infrastructure, including health facilities in IDP camps, as well as hospitals in all 5 affected states and regions. Health services were interrupted for three days in Rakhine state, and several laboratories and operating theatres were reportedly not functions in Sittwe township. Primary health care services resumed four days after cyclone mocha hit, with mobile clinics activated in Rakhine, providing treatment for minor injuries. Reporting from EWARS indicates an uptick in the number of cases of diarrhoeal disease.
Over the past 12 days, health partners with access to affected populations have scaled up to provide life-saving health services. Mobile clinics in Rakhine state have increased from 15 to 30 in operation, providing comprehensive primary health services including maternal, newborn, and child health services and non-communicable disease care.
The multi-sectoral Flash Appeal targets approximately 1.6 million people affected by cyclone Mocha and its aftermath across the five areas of Myanmar mentioned above. A total of US$333 million is urgently required for this response plan to address needs in areas in all communities affected by the cyclone and its aftermath.
The health sector is in critical need of an immediate 23.1 million USD in funding to assist 429,000 people in the hardest-hit townships of Rakhine, Northwest (Chin, Magway, and Sagaing) and Kachin by Cyclone Mocha.