Cyclone Mocha made landfall on Myanmar’s west coast in Rakhine State on Sunday with winds of up to 195 km (120 miles) per hour, before crossing into neighboring Chin State and Sagaing and Magwe regions. It left a trail of massive destruction in western Rakhine State and the northwestern resistance strongholds of Chin State and Sagaing and Magwe regions in conflict-torn Myanmar, becoming the strongest storm to hit the country in 16 years.
While all of these areas have suffered widespread destruction of homes, public infrastructure and plantations, storm-related deaths have only been reported in Rakhine, Magwe and Sagaing. The United Nations (UN) said on Friday that at least 800,000 people needed emergency food aid and other assistance after the storm.
The UN and other international aid agencies still haven’t been able to make a complete assessment of the storm’s impact due to communication breakdowns and difficulty accessing the affected areas, mainly because they are still waiting for the junta’s approval. The total death toll in Rakhine is still unclear as local volunteers have reported conflicting numbers. Myanmar’s junta announced on Friday that 145 people were killed in Rakhine alone. However, locals and rescue teams said some people are still missing, feared dead. As of Monday, The Irrawaddy estimates the total death toll in Rakhine, Magwe and Sagaing at 157, with Rakhine the worst affected with 149 deaths.
The following numbers show the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha as of Monday in only Rakhine, Magwe and Sagaing, while data on the devastation in Chin State has not been confirmed yet.
