Floods, Hunger and Disease Pile on Myanmar’s Civil War Misery

A street market in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city. Residents are anxious about high inflation and also fear recent floods will drive food prices higher. Credit: Ant/IPSby Guy Dinmore, and a reporter in Yangon (yangon, myanmar)Wednesday, September 23, 2026Inter Press Service YANGON, Myanmar, September 23 (IPS) - Isolated and at constant war with itself, Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis is deepening as global challenges far exceed the capacity to respond of a military regime increasingly focused on its own survival. The climate crisis, soaring commodity prices triggered by wars in Europe and the Middle East, plus worldwide cuts in donor aid are all hitting Myanmar hard. The regime’s inability to govern a fragmented and restive country with nearly four million internally displaced people has been exposed to the full since it seized power over five years ago.Widespread floods caused by heavy monsoon rains since July have affected over 470,000 people, according to an assessment by the World Health Organization. Cases of malaria and dengue have been increasing, as well as outbreaks of cholera. “Everyone is starving and cut off. Yes, everyone is facing food shortages,” said an activist calli...