Canada provides WFP with aid for flood victims

08 August 2015
Canada provides WFP with aid for flood victims
Aid being delivered for flood victims in Yangon, Myanmar, 6 August 2015.Photo: Nyein Chan Naign/EPA

Canada is providing US$500,000 to the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver critical emergency food assistance to thousands of people affected by severe flooding in Myanmar, according to a press release on August 8.
Heavy rains during the 2015 monsoon season are causing flooding and landslides in northern and western Myanmar. This was exacerbated by Cyclone Komen, which churned off the coast of Myanmar, bringing additional rainfall.
Myanmar's Relief and Resettlement Department is reporting that, to date, the heavy rains have affected more than 200,000 people across 12 states and regions. The floods are also affecting Myanmar's agriculture sector: the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation estimates that more than 524,000 acres of farmland have been flooded since June. The loss of stored grains and livestock is expected to disrupt the planting season and impact long-term food security in Myanmar.