Heavy monsoon rains that began in late June -- compounded more recently by Cyclone Komen -- have triggered some of Myanmar`s worst flash floods and landslides in recent memory. All but two of the country`s 14 states have been affected.
The death toll reached 99 on Sunday and more than 900,000 people have been affected -- a third of them in the Irrawaddy Delta, said Phyu Lei Lei Tun, director of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
It is here -- in a desperately poor region known as the Rice Bowl -- that several mighty rivers meet before feeding into the sea.
Downstream waters have caused banks to burst, swallowing up rice paddies and homes.
Zin Mar Htun was seeking refuge in a school with six family members, including her 11-month-old son, after their house was flushed away in the raging waters. "We had our own raft, so we sought refuge here," she said.
The United Nations pledged $9 million in assistance this past week, but so far most help has come from private citizens and non-governmental organizations.
Myanmar`s appeal was in sharp contrast to its response following Cyclone Nargis in 2008, when the nation`s then-military rulers refused international aid and largely downplayed the destruction -- though more than 100,000 people were killed.
A nominally civilian government now runs the country, but critics say it`s not moving quickly enough to help those in need.
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