Myanmar junta forces are threatening, restricting, and blocking local aid workers attempting to deliver relief to flood victims in the Sagaing Region, where residents are struggling under the dual impacts of armed conflict and severe flooding, according to local sources.
Civil society relief groups face harassment at military checkpoints—including the Sagaing (Yadanabon) Bridge and Sagaing Hnapauk checkposts—and during forced meetings with junta officials.
An official from the Shwebo Township People’s Defense Force (PDF) said relief teams are only permitted to travel to Madaya and junta-controlled villages near Sagaing town.
“The Shwebo District Police Chief threatened locals intending to provide flood relief, stating that their homes would be sealed off for supporting terrorism,” the PDF official added.
A local volunteer assisting flood victims confirmed the desperate situation on the ground: “Relief aid is completely inadequate. Although the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), PDFs, and local civil society groups are trying to help, operating amidst military blockades presents immense challenges.”
The flood-affected areas in Sagaing are active battlegrounds between junta troops and anti-regime revolutionary forces. These communities frequently endure junta airstrikes and military-imposed blockades on essential supplies, including food, fuel, medicine, and basic consumer goods.
Additionally, pro-junta Telegram channels are spreading disinformation, claiming that civilians are gathering to rob aid workers and that resistance forces are planting landmines along relief routes.
The crisis began on August 4, when heavy rainfall forced authorities to discharge excess water from the Thaphanseik Reservoir, Kintat Diversion Weir, and Kabo Dam into the Mu River. Combined with rising river levels, the discharge triggered severe flooding along the Mu River and its tributaries, inundating about 200 villages across townships including Taze, Ye-U, Khin-U, Depayin, Kanbalu, Kyunhla, Shwebo, Wetlet, and Sagaing town.
On August 13, as the Thaphanseik Dam exceeded its holding capacity amid persistent rain, all spillway gates were opened. Local resistance groups and emergency responders are urging residents near the riverbanks to evacuate immediately.
According to data from the NUG and local sources, flooding in Sagaing between August 6 and 12 killed at least 23 people—including eight in Depayin, eight in Kyunhla, and three in Kawlin—while two others remain missing.
To address the massive humanitarian need, the NUG and the Sagaing Federal Unit—an interim administration formed in November 2025 by lawmakers ousted in the 2021 coup—have jointly established the Joint Emergency Response Committee (JERC) to coordinate relief operations.
