Rescuers struggle to reach flood-hit southern Myanmar

Rescuers in southern Myanmar are struggling to reach affected areas following heavy rains that have caused flooding and landslides since Friday night. The volunteer chairman of the Dawei Zabuthiri Emergency Medical Service, Myo Min, told AFP that several townships in Tanintharyi region, Myanmar's southernmost state, have been severely impacted.

He reported that aid teams have found hundreds of residents displaced to monastery shelters, with no confirmed figures yet but preliminary information suggesting a death toll between seven and 10 people and 20 to 30 missing. Rescue workers have not yet been able to manage the entire disaster area, as authorities have yet to release an official toll.

The conflict in Myanmar complicates aid efforts, making it difficult for humanitarian organizations to accurately assess the scale of natural disasters. Myanmar, a nation of 51 million people, is among the 10 nations most vulnerable to climate change, according to Germanwatch. The country has also suffered from aid cutbacks following the US decision to reduce its humanitarian budget.

In Thailand, the capital Bangkok declared a flood disaster over the weekend after nearly 48 hours of heavy rain left homes, shops, and roads waterlogged, with nearly 4,900 people evacuated to shelters and around 52,000 households affected.