Heavy monsoon rains in the past month have left at least 27 people dead and displaced more than 150,000 others in Myanmar, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Saturday.
The agency said the figures are expected to increase as more information becomes available, because many areas have not been reached or reported on by assessment teams.
One of the hardest-hit states is Rakhine, on the Bay of Bengal, OCHA reported. Initial reports indicate extensive damage to shelters and other infrastructure in camps around the state capital of Sittwe, where about 100,000 people are staying.
Myanmar President Thein Sein declared natural disaster zones in Rakhine and three other areas Friday, one day after Cyclone Komen made landfall in neighboring Bangladesh, OCHA reported.
Between 4 and 6 inches of rain fell on that region of southeast Asia from Friday into Saturday, according to CNN’s weather unit. Forecasters predict further heavy rains and strong winds over the next few days.
As reported by CNN