Mass evacuations in Bangladesh and Myanmar as severe tropical storm looms
About half a million people are being evacuated in south east Bangladesh, and others are fleeing nearby parts of Myanmar, as a powerful cyclone approaches the region.
Cyclone Mocha is predicted to reach the southeastern border between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday – with winds of 170 kph and 12-foot storm surges expected.
It could be the most severe cyclone Bangladesh has seen in two decades, the BBC reported.
And there are fears it will hit Cox’s Bazar – where one million Rohingya refugees live, most having fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
Bangladesh’s government doesn’t allow refugees to leave their camps, and many are living in flimsy bamboo shelters with tarpaulin covers. Some live in hillside camps, which could collapse in landslips if the cyclone brings a deluge of rain.
Mohammad Shamsud Douza, a Bangladesh government official responsible for refugees, told Reuters: “We are focusing on saving lives. People who are at risk of landslides will be evacuated.”
Officials in Cox’s Bazar told the BBC 1,000 people had already been evacuated from one area, with plans to move 8000 more further away from the beach if conditions worsen.
As the storm approaches, airports have shut and 1,500 shelters have been installed.
In Myanmar, streets have emptied as people flee to higher ground after rain started on Friday night in Sittwe City, the capital of Rakhine state.
Gas stations have closed, making it difficult for people to evacuate by car. Lifejackets are also scarce.
The World Food Programme told Reuters it was preparing food and relief supplies that could help more than 400,000 people in Rakhine and surrounding areas for a month.
