In a statement issued on August 1, Mr Murphy said he was concerned by the extensive flooding that has caused loss of life and property in several areas of Myanmar over the past days.

"On behalf of the United Nations, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families of victims and to all communities affected by the floods," he said.

"I commend the ongoing efforts being led by the Myanmar authorities and military, civil society groups, local organizations, and the Myanmar Red Cross Society," Mr Murphy said.

The UN and international humanitarian organizations have offered their support and are already working closely with the Myanmar authorities at local, State, and Union levels to assess urgent needs and are providing support to the humanitarian response.

The UN representative said the UN has dispatched assessment teams to the most affected areas to evaluate the humanitarian situation and identify priorities in terms of water and sanitation, shelter, food, and other relief items.

Myanmar is prone to natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes. Over the past years, the UN has worked with the Myanmar Government on contingency plans to improve emergency response preparedness and on disaster risk reduction programmes to strengthen the resilience of communities in times like these.