Floodwaters inundate over 10 villages in remote Ponnagyun area

By Admin 10 Jul 2026

DMG Newsroom

10 July 2026, Ponnagyun

Continuous heavy rains have caused severe flooding in more than 10 villages in the upper Tawphyarchaung area of Ponnagyun Township, Arakan State, forcing residents from several low-lying villages to evacuate to safer areas, according to local residents.

The flooding, caused by heavy monsoon rains and mountain torrents, has severely affected villages including Hsinthel, Auyama, Thetkyaingtaung, Khwaythay, Thaluchaung, Lunpu and Ahtet Thinponetan.

"The main causes are continuous rainfall and mountain torrents flowing into the creeks. Because the creek water cannot drain quickly enough, water levels have risen sharply. In some villages, entire communities have moved to higher ground, while residents in low-lying areas of other villages are also evacuating," a resident of Hsinthel Village said.

Residents in the flood-affected Tawphyarchaung area said they are urgently relocating livestock, rice and paddy stocks to safer places.

Flooding has also affected Ganantaung, Autmyethle and Ngapyauksel villages in Ponnagyun Township, where residents have been evacuating since 9 July, according to officials from the Ponnagyun Youths Association.

"The Ponnagyun Youths Association is providing rescue and relief assistance as much as possible. Some displaced people have gone without food, while others do not have dry places to cook meals. Everyone is facing severe difficulties at the moment," said Ko Kyaw Win Tun, Vice Chairman of the Ponnagyun Youths Association.

Since early July, continuous heavy rains across Arakan State have caused widespread flooding in more than 100 wards and villages in Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Paletwa and Taungup townships.

The Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office under the United League of Arakan has warned that the flood situation in Arakan State could worsen as rainfall continues, making urgent emergency response measures necessary.

Although seasonal flooding and rising river levels occur annually in Arakan State, this year's monsoon flooding has reached the worst levels recorded in two decades.

The European Union's Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) and other global flood warning organizations have issued alerts indicating that water levels have reached severe hazard thresholds, with both purple and red alerts issued.