Rakhine State grapples with aftermath of severe floods amid relentless airstrikes

Nearly 100,000 displaced residents across Arakan State began returning to their homes on Monday as floodwaters slowly receded. However, the humanitarian crisis remains severe, compounded by continuous military bombardments in the state’s southern Gwa Township.

According to residents and local relief workers, at least five people were killed by the severe flooding triggered by heavy rainfall that began on July 6.

Widespread flood damage and health risks

While water levels have dropped in heavily impacted townships—including Mrauk-U, Minbya, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Maungdaw, and Buthidaung—the destruction left behind is extensive.

• Agricultural Ruin: A resident of Mrauk-U reported that vital paddy fields have been decimated by the inundation.

• Infrastructure and Water Supply: Homes situated near streams were severely damaged, and crucial drinking-water ponds across several villages were completely submerged and contaminated.

Local aid organizations are urgently calling for food, clean water, medicine, and mosquito nets. Relief workers warn that the lack of clean drinking water has drastically increased the risk of waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases in the flood-affected communities.

The disaster aligns with a July 9 warning from the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS), which cautioned that the torrential rains would trigger the worst flooding Arakan has seen in twenty years.

A dual crisis in Gwa Township

While floodwaters have receded in the north, Gwa residents are facing a dual crisis of persistent flooding and intense military bombardment.

On Monday, July 13, the Myanmar Air Force conducted six bombing runs over areas near three villages in Gwa, dropping more than 50 bombs. While no casualties from this specific barrage have been reported yet, an unknown number of homes were destroyed.

“Even when people were already suffering from floods, they did not stop attacking Gwa,” a resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity.

The recent bombings follow a deadly week of escalation in the township:

• July 8: Four Myanmar Navy warships fired over 80 artillery shells into coastal areas of Gwa, injuring at least six civilians, including two children.

• July 10: Airstrikes on two villages in Gwa killed four civilians and injured one.

A strategic flashpoint

Gwa has become a major military flashpoint following recent territorial gains by the Arakan Army (AA). The armed ethnic group seized control of Gwa in late 2024.

Tensions in the immediate region escalated further on July 7, when the AA announced it had captured two regime outposts in neighboring Ayeyarwady Region’s Yegyi Township, located just 40 miles east of Gwa.

As regime forces lose ground to the AA, it has increasingly relied on its air force and naval artillery to bombard civilian and resistance-held areas, creating a dire situation for residents already struggling to survive the region’s extreme weather.