"Glide No.: TC-2023-000069-MMR TIMELINE 10 May 2023: a Tropical Depression turned into Cyclonic Storm Mocha over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining South Andaman Sea. On 13 May, Cyclone Mocha moved further north-eastwards over the Bay of Bengal and intensified to an Extremely Severe Cyclone. 14 May 2023: Cyclone Mocha made landfall in Rakhine State, Myanmar, as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm with winds gusting up to 230-250 km/h. On the same day at local time 6:30 pm. Mocha reached Haka Township in Chin State. 15 May: Cyclone Mocha reached Sagaing region as a deep land depression with a wind speed of 78 km/h. 15-16 May: The State Administration Council declared all 17 townships of Rakhine state and four townships in Chin State (Tiddim, Matupi, Paletwa and Hakha) as disaster affected areas under section 11 of the Natural Disaster Management Law. 16 May: The MRCS requested that the IFRC launch an Emergency Appeal to support its response plan to Cyclone Mocha and began relief and immediate assistance activities. DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT Extremely Severe Cyclone Storm Mocha1 is one of the strongest cyclones to hit the country in decades, and the most affected areas present an extraordinarily complex and insecure context due to civic disorders, armed clashes, and an extremely fragile economic situation. Mocha caused storm surges in excess of two metres, strong winds and very heavy rainfall with heavy inundation reported in the low-lying areas of Rakhine, particularly in and around the state capital Sittwe, and in Chin state, Magway, Ayeyarwady and Mandalay regions as well as the lower Sagaing region. On 15 May, the State Administration Council declared all 17 townships of Rakhine state as disaster affected areas under section 11 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, which recognises the special role of the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) in disaster management. On 16 May, a similar announcement was made for four townships in Chin state (Tiddim, Matupi, Paletwa and Hakha). Severity of humanitarian conditions 1. Impact on the accessibility, availability, quality, use, and awareness of goods and services. According to preliminary data collected during the identification of impact and needs carried out by MRCS branches through over 900 volunteers active on the ground, over 237,000 households across more than five states and regions have been affected by the strong winds, intense rainfall, flooding, and landslides which have accompanied the landfall of Cyclone Mocha. In Rakhine, Chin, Magway, Sagaing, and Ayeyarwady, complete destruction or severe damage was reported to water supplies and sanitation facilities, public infrastructure (for example, some sources identify dozens of hospitals and clinics, hundreds of schools, and hundreds of religious buildings as being damaged), transport infrastructure, such as bridges and roads damaged and the airports of Sittwe and Thandwe in Rakhine State also partially damaged. Telecommunications infrastructure was also heavily affected with several telecoms towers damaged. Countrywide, some sources identify damage to about 2,500 religious buildings, over 2,000 schools, over 300 hospitals/clinics, and over 800 ships/boats. While over 32,000 livestock are estimated as having been lost, the overall cropland area estimated to have been flooded is 1,400 km2, with disruptive consequences, especially for subsistence farmers. More than 90% of houses in Rakhine and Chin are semi-permanent (semi-pacca6, wooden houses) and temporary shelters (bamboo/huts), and similarly in in the Ayeyarwady region, more than 55% of the houses are estimated to have light roof/walls. As a result, most of these shelters have been totally or partially damaged (in many cases, losing the roof), with preliminary data collected by MRCS volunteers indicating that more than 200,000 houses in the worst affected areas are in need of complete or partial repair. Significant damage to camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Rakhine have also been identified by the MRCS, with initial observations noting that tens of thousands of households were affected in 14 camps. A market analysis is still ongoing though steep price increases in basic goods, such as rice and eggs have already been reported. 2. Impact on physical and mental well-being The devastating impact of the cyclone has serious consequences for the physical and mental health and psychosocial well-being of the affected population. Disruptions to water systems are limiting access to clean drinking water and increase the risks of waterborne diseases and large-scale disease outbreaks. Clinics and hospitals have been damaged or totally destroyed, resulting in a shortage of medicines, medical supplies in addition to limiting the capacities to admit and treat patients. Many laboratories and operating rooms are not functional. Mobile clinics have resumed the provision of primary healthcare services in some areas but continue to face constraints in terms of transportation and distribution of medical supplies and access to cover all affected areas. Disrupted or limited access to medicines and healthcare services is increasing the risk of preventable complications and deaths. In conflict affected areas, people are increasingly exposed to risks from the movement of landmines due to flooding. The disaster is also taking a toll on people’s immediate and long-term mental health and psychosocial well-being, given their exposure to traumatic and distressing events. The cyclone has led to an increase in the number of unaccompanied children, highlighting urgent needs for child protection and appropriate support services. 3. Risks and vulnerabilities Myanmar has a very fragile economy, with almost half the population estimated to be living in poverty. In Rakhine, over half a million households had preexisting multidimensional vulnerabilities with an estimated six million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 1.2 million people internally displaced even prior to the cyclone. In the Ayeyarwady and Sagaing regions, and Chin state, between 50 and 60 per cent of the population was already living in vulnerable conditions, totalling over three million households, and the impact of the cyclone is expected to exacerbate these pre-existing conditions. The estimated number of households with pre-existing vulnerabilities in the Magway region is over 50,000. Pre-existing and intersectional vulnerabilities should be taken into account, especially in prioritising the needs of displaced people, and of women, children, and people with disabilities within each target group..."