Millions of children affected after Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar, Bangladesh

People evacuate to avoid Typhoon Mocha in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar, May 13, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Cyclone Mocha swept through Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh earlier this week, severely affecting the lives of millions of children and families in the two countries, with many living in dire straits.

In a report released on May 16, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that Cyclone Mocha, which hit the coasts of Myanmar and Bangladesh, destroyed thousands of homes, medical facilities, schools and other important infrastructure in these countries.

Even though the storm has passed, there is still a risk of spreading waterborne diseases to the community in the next few days.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the hardest hit by Hurricane Mocha were refugees living in overcrowded and squalid camps and those displaced in hard-to-reach areas.

In Myanmar, more than 16 million people, including 5.6 million children, were in the path of Mocha when the storm made landfall in the western state of Rakhine on May 14.

In Bangladesh, home to the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, 1 million Rohingya have been affected by the storm, half of them children. They live in makeshift, cramped shelters that are at constant risk of landslides.

UNICEF said it is working with local partners to coordinate and deliver aid in Myanmar and Bangladesh, including clean water, hygiene products, health, nutrition,education and child protection measures to speed up relief efforts in the two countries.

Cyclone Mocha and Cyclone Fani in May 2019 were the two strongest storms ever recorded in the northern Indian Ocean. Scientists say climate change is threatening disaster management efforts to reduce the number of deaths caused by storms in recent years.

Scientists predict that the increased frequency and intensity of future storms will be a major risk that Bangladesh will face in the coming decades./.

Mai Nguyen/vietnamplus.vn

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