Yangon (AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - At least 85 thousand people have fled their homes because of recent
heavy monsoon rains in various parts of Myanmar. Government
sources in Naypyidaw report that the most affected area is concentrated along
the Irrawaddy Delta, where in 2008 about 130 thousand people have died as a
result of Cyclone Nargis. Hundreds
of thousands of hectares of land and rice fields - unofficial estimates speak
of 250 thousand hectares - are submerged, it is the worst natural disaster in
recent years, during a period a season unused to such heavy monsoon rains.
Burmese
President Thein Sein has already visited the areas affected by the flood, even
though the block of transport and road damage make it impossible - so far - to draw
up a precise picture of the disaster. However,
the head of state's attention to the disaster is (also) a sign of the change in
the Burmese leadership, which during the Cyclone Nargis tragedy - May 2008 - sought
to minimize the extent of the problem, leaving the victims to their fate before
yielding to international pressure.
Meanwhile,
the government has set up more than 200 shelters to house those who had to flee
their homes. According
to experts, the floods will eventually also affect next year's harvest, rice is
a key element for the Burmese economy, topping the list of exported goods and
basic food for the population.
At
the moment there is no confirmation of deaths or injuries, although a precise
estimate will only be possible in the coming days. Local
sources said that heavy rains have damaged, in addition to homes, several
bridges, roads and railway lines.