Myanmar army cuts off aid to cyclone survivors

The Myanmar government has cut off access for aid groups trying to reach affected areas of one of Myanmar’s strongest cyclones, making it harder for those affected by the cyclone to rebuild their lives. 

The decision has “turned an extreme weather event into a man-made catastrophe,” Human Rights Watch has said.

The cyclone hit on 14 May and killed hundreds of people. 

On the ground, there isn’t enough water or food, and finding either has been harder with the monsoon underway. 

The UN’s humanitarian office has said only a fraction of damaged homes have been repaired. The junta says the cyclone killed 145 people, but the clandestine National Unity Government estimates that the toll was closer to 500. 

Of the 5.4 million people in Myanmar who were in Cyclone Mocha’s path, nearly 3.2 million are considered “most vulnerable” according to the UN.