UN responding to deadly landslide in Myanmar

The United Nations is assessing how it can assist Myanmar in the wake of a deadly landslide caused by heavy rains which swept away a jade miners’ settlement in the north of the country.

The 4 July landslide occurred in the settlement on the Uru River in Kachin State.

According to media reports, dozens of people have been killed, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that between 700 and 800 people have been affected and are currently sheltering in five sites, including monasteries and a school.

The UN and its partner agencies are working in the area by Hpakant township to plan and coordination the distribution of supplies.

Food is expected to be the main priority for those affected by the torrential floods, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) will be supplying emergency food aid through its partners on the ground.

For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is looking into the possibility of distributing essential drugs to authorities and health facilities.

At the national level, OCHA and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have offered their support during talks with the Ministry of Social Welfare.