30 April 2026 By Kan Htun
PUNNAGYUN, Myanmar — Hundreds of families living in temporary camps in Rakhine State are facing a fresh humanitarian emergency after heavy rain and powerful winds destroyed nearly 500 shelters earlier this week.
The storm, which began on 28 April, ripped through displacement sites in Punnagyun, Kyaukpyu, and Ramree townships. For those already fleeing the country’s civil war, the loss of their makeshift homes has left them exposed to the elements with no place to sleep or cook.
“The wind took the roof right off,” a displaced man in Punnagyun told MPA. “There is nowhere to stay and nowhere to prepare food. With a family of four, we are in a truly desperate situation. Most of the other families here are facing the exact same thing.”
Many of the shelters are constructed from fragile materials such as bamboo, thatch, and plastic tarpaulins, which offered little resistance to the sudden gale. Local aid workers reported that the elderly, women, and young children are the most severely affected by the wet and cold conditions.
The destruction comes at a time when residents in western Myanmar are already struggling with severe shortages of food and medicine due to ongoing conflict and blockades.
“Life was already difficult enough just trying to survive the war,” said a 40-year-old mother of four. “Now, with the rain coming through the roof, I had to run with my children in the middle of the night to find any dry spot we could. We are living in misery.”
Local humanitarian groups have issued an urgent appeal for waterproof covers, building materials, and food supplies. However, delivering aid to these remote and conflict-affected zones remains a significant challenge due to security restrictions and damaged infrastructure.
With the monsoon season approaching, there are growing fears that without immediate intervention, thousands more displaced persons across Rakhine State will be left without adequate protection against the increasingly volatile weather.
The military authorities have not yet commented on the scale of the damage or any planned relief efforts for the affected camps.
