rom the section Asia The storm is uprooting trees and tearing down billboards across the island Powerful Typhoon Soudelor is battering Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain, leaving at least four people dead. The storm - with winds of more than 230km/h (142mph) - made landfall on the eastern coast early on Saturday and is now moving across the island. It is ripping up trees and tearing down billboards, and triggered a landslide in at least one village. About two million households have been left without electricity. Rail services and flights have been cancelled and all schools and offices closed. The Jingmei River is threatening to flood parts of the capital Taipei Taiwan's weather bureau says the typhoon is moving north-west, gradually losing its strength. Among the victims were an eight-year-old girl and her mother who were swept out to sea. "I've never seen such a powerful typhoon in my 60 years," one resident in the eastern Taitung county t...

Wind gusts of up to 210km/h recorded as massive storm makes landfall on Saturday morning. 07 Aug 2015 22:16 GMT  |  Taiwan ,  Weather ,  Asia Pacific Preparation for the typhoon has not prevented casualties, with three deaths reported on Friday [Reuters] Typhoon Soudelor has made landfall in Taiwan, packing wind gusts of up to 210km/h and heavy rainfall, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau (CWB). As expected, the typhoon hit Taiwan in the early hours of Saturday morning. There were no immediate reports of damage. The CWB said the storm has brought with it wind gusts that have been recorded at 208km/h, and a sustained wind speed of 173km/h. Taiwan has had several days to prepare for the typhoon, which has been tracked from space by international space agencies. RELATED: Typhoon Soudelor bears down on Taiwan But the preparation has not prevented casualties, with three deaths reported on Friday in choppy waters off the coast of Taiwan's northe...

By MOE MYINT / THE IRRAWADDY | August 7, 2015 RANGOON — Nearly two-thirds of all deaths linked to widespread flooding in Burma in recent weeks have occurred in western Arakan State, according to the state government’s office director Moe Hein, who told The Irrawaddy that the death toll in the northern part of the state alone climbed to 55 on Thursday. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, flooding had killed a total of 88 people across the country as of Friday. The Irrawaddy sought more information from Moe Hein on which townships in Arakan State had been hardest hit, but the official said he was busy handling the visit of President Thein Sein, who arrived there on Thursday. Khine Pyi Soe, the vice chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), faulted the regional government for his state’s disproportionately high death toll, saying officials had failed to give the public sufficient warning ahead of Cyclone Kome...

Parts of a damaged railway in Pwintbyu Township on August 5 (Photo – Kyi Naing/EMG) Flood-affected areas are now facing the aftermath of floods, including food and water shortages and rising commodity prices. Water is selling for tens of thousands of kyats in Rakhine State’s Mrauk U. The pipelines that distributed water from Lehse Lake to most Mrauk U homes have been damaged and distribution has been halted. “We haven’t received any clean water since the day the flooding started. We had to pay about Ks15,000 to fill our [four by six feet] tank,” said Aye Cho from the south ward. Power has been cut since the town flooded. The price of a bag of rice has risen from Ks20,000 to around Ks55,000. Petrol more than doubled from Ks1,000 per litre, eggs cost up to Ks250 and instant noodles are priced up to Ks500. Ten men and six women had died in the township by Tuesday, according to the Free Funeral Service Society. Outlying villages are in urgent need of food, dri...

Porters carry goods as the road is blocked due to a landslide in May Yu mountain, Rakhine State. MAUNGDAW – In Maungdaw District, Rakhine State, Cyclone Komen has destroyed more than 1,700 houses, 130 schools and 29 monasteries. More than 280,000 sowed acres of farmland have been swamped, according to the land records department. Komen hit Maungdaw on July 29 with surface wind speeds of 70 miles per hour. Buthidaung has seen more than 70,000 acres of farmland flooded, of which 45,000 were sown. Thirteen deaths have been reported in Maungdaw District. Rakhine State government claims to have provided 2,000 bags of rice bags to Buthidaung. A Khayay Myaing villager said: “Severe wind has blown roofs away. We fled to the school for shelter. Yesterday, the government provided rice and edible oil.” A female villager said: “Our farmland was flooded. Now we have no money to grow rice again. Last year we took a bank loan. However, the bank said it couldn’t loan to us ...

6 Aug 2015 Aerial picture of one of the worst-affected flood areas in Sagaing region Myanmar's president has called for people to leave low-lying areas in the flood-hit country as the Irrawaddy river threatens to breach embankments. The death toll from the floods and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rain has risen to 74 and affected more than 330,000, officials say. Four areas have been declared disaster zones with widespread flooding. The government, which admits being weak in its response to the disaster, has appealed for international aid. In a message broadcast on radio early on Thursday, President Thein Sein said areas near the Irrawaddy were at risk as the river rises "above danger level" and water drains through the vast Irrawaddy delta. "As we cannot prevent natural disasters, I urge fellow citizens to move to safer places... it's the best way," he said, adding Hinthada and Nyaung Don townships along the river were in immediate danger...

By   KYAW HSU MON / THE IRRAWADDY |  Thursday, August 6, 2015 | RANGOON — Aid pledges for victims of Burma’s flooding emergency continued to pour in from overseas on Thursday, as water levels receded in the north of the country and downstream communities in the Irrawaddy Delta prepared for the worst. The British government announced on Thursday that it would provide relief supplies and assist with recovery efforts. The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has provided nearly 50,000 people with high-energy food supplies and another 20,000 people with hygiene kits and supplies to treat unclean water. DFID said that US$780,000 in contingency funding would be made available to support further relief activities and to help existing programs adapt to meet the needs of flood-ravaged communities with the provision of emergency healthcare, shelter and repairs to damaged water supplies and sewerage systems. “Our disaster planning meant that food and other emer...

By Myat Noe Oo   |   Thursday, 06 August 2015 A Muslim group has raised an initial K120 million to provide aid to flood-hit regions in upper Myanmar. A relief committee including officials from five Islamic Organisations, charitable NGOs, university students and businesspeople was set up on August 1, when the funds were raised, and say they will leave for the stricken area today. Organisation secretary U Tin Maung Than said the volunteers would deliver food and medicine, and continue their fundraising efforts. Funds also came from business people, students and others. “We will donate without discrimination and focus on people in emergency conditions. The Office of Islamic Organisations and some mosques are accepting donations now and other mosques will organise collections,” he said. “Our aim is to save people at risk and provide what they need. “We will go to Bago and Sagaing regions in four groups. We are planning the trip today, and will e...

By Aung Kyaw Min   |   Thursday, 06 August 2015 A flood relief committee established by prominent monk Sitagu Sayadaw has raised more than K325 milliion, including K80 million from ethnic Kokang and Palaung rebels. The committee said yesterday it had received donations of K50 million from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and K30 million from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army. Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara set up the committee on August 2 to assist with the relief effort once the full impact of the flooding became apparent. One of his followers said it was only in early August that the severity of the flooding was realised. “At first I didn’t think the flooding was too bad and didn’t pay much attention. But then the problems got bigger and bigger,” said Ashin Kawvida Siri, one of the monks involved in the committee. Meanwhile, the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion – better known by its Myanmar-langu...

06 Aug 2015 Hinthada, Myanmar | AFP | Thursday 8/6/2015 - 10:12 GMT by Kelly MACNAMARA Myanmar's president called Thursday for the evacuation of low-lying areas as the Irrawaddy river threatened to breach embankments, leaving villagers with just sand-bags to hold back churning waters that have hit much of the country. Floods from a heavy monsoon season have cut through swathes of South and Southeast Asia in recent weeks, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing millions. Twelve of Myanmar's 14 regions have been struck, with officials saying 74 people have been killed and more than 330,000 affected -- many forced into monasteries and other makeshift shelters after their homes were inundated. In a picture muddied by damaged communications, relief agencies said floods had receded in some northern and western areas allowing supplies of food and clean water to trickle in, although landslides were still a threat. Parts of the centre and south, Myanmar's main major ...

06 Aug 2015 With over 2,400 schools shut, at least 250,000 children can't continue learning Over 100,000 children don't have sufficient food and access to clean drinking water because of ruined crops and contaminated water wells in flood-affected Myanmar, warns Save the Children. Jose Ravano, Acting Country Director for Save the Children in Myanmar said: “Crops and seeds have been destroyed in the floods and that means that food will be in short supply over the coming weeks leading to fears that more children will be undernourished. As it stands, Myanmar is already one of the 24 high-burden countries with the largest number of stunted children. One-in-three children are stunted, and the food insecurity with these floods could exacerbate the situation.” “The floods have also contaminated precious water sources such as wells, so we have concerns for how children will access sufficient drinking water. Our teams on the ground have reported that many people are drinking only...