Displaced people bearing brunt of floods in Chipwe, Kachin State

Two wards on the east bank of the N’Mai River have been flooded since last Saturday in Kachin State’s Chipwe Township, forcing hundreds of families already displaced by war to move again, locals said. Heavy rain began on Saturday in the upper reaches of the N'Mai River, causing it to overflow its banks and rise as much as 50 feet above its usual level, according to a resident of Chipwe Township. The river flooded Yit Law Hkaung and Kan Paing Yan wards near the riverbank, which are home to the affected displaced peoples’ camps: the AG and KBC IDP camps, according to the Chipwe resident. "Three or four IDP camp sleeping quarters have been swept away by floodwater, and some of the remaining houses have also been carried off. The water is still four to five feet above the original level as it’s still raining now,” the resident said. The camps had to be evacuated urgently, with the people staying there having no time to take their belongings, and they are now sheltering in various places in the town, he added. While there were no casualties, household property was lost, and most of the IDPs are sheltering temporarily at the KBC monastery in the town or with relatives living nearby. Although the level of the N'Mai River fell by more than 10 feet on Monday morning, continuous rainfall has also caused streams in the northern part of town to rise, flooding streets in urban wards, locals said. Video recordings sent by locals show IDP camps and houses in Yit Law Hkaung ward destroyed by the floodwater. Villages on the N’Mai River within 30 miles of Chipwe, such as Naw Maw Zut and Sha Ngaw have also flooded, according to locals. “Three villages are also flooded. Even motorboats can’t cross the river, the water is too turbulent. And cars can’t get across either. Only pedestrians and motorcycles could cross yesterday when the water was about six feet deep,” the Chipwe resident said on Monday. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has been in control of Chipwe since late 2024 after defeating and expelling the battalions of the junta-allied Border Guard Force led by warlord Zakhun Ting Ying. The N'Mai River typically rises during the rainy season every year, but this year it has risen eight feet higher than the average in previous years. The swelling N’Mai and Mali rivers also flooded some low-lying wards and villages in Putao Township since Sunday, with the waters receding slightly by Monday morning, locals said. Following the flooding on the N’Mai and Mali, the Ayeyarwady River, which is downstream from their confluence, also continued to rise, passing the alert level of 1,200 centimeters in the Kachin State cities of Myitkyina and Waingmaw. Houses flooded and some families were forced to relocate in low-lying riverside neighborhoods of Myitkyina like Ram Pu, Kyat Paung Chan, and Lel Kone, a local woman said. “Yesterday, those whose houses were flooded moved their belongings and relocated," the woman said on Monday. “Some went to churches, others moved to relatives’ houses. We’re worried about thieves breaking into empty houses. The water level has only risen a small amount, but egg and fuel prices have started to go up a little.” From around 11am on Monday, the Ayeyarwady River began to recede, dropping slightly by a few inches compared with the previous day, locals said. According to an announcement by Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) on Monday afternoon, the river’s level could reach 1,195 centimeters by 12:30pm on Monday. Some Myitkyina wards remain flooded, and social assistance organisations are sending in boats to rescue people, video clips posted on social media showed. Some low-lying wards on the south side of Waingmaw have also flooded, as well as the nearby Hkat Cho village, making it necessary to relocate around 60 families, according to a representative of the Mon Myat Saydana Social Assistance Association. However, the water began receding on Monday morning and there’s currently no cause for concern, he added. “Though it was still rising until this morning, it started to drop around 10 o’clock,” he said on Monday. “It has dropped quite significantly. I can’t say exactly how much in feet, but it has dropped below the danger level. We’re still conducting relief operations in low-lying areas but have stopped in most other areas.” Some analysts attribute the flooding in the Kachin State to climate change and increased rainfall this year. The DMH issued a statement on Monday warning people living near riverbanks in Katha Township, Sagaing Region—downstream from Myitkyina on the Ayeyarwady—to take precautions and be prepared in case the river flooded in the next few days. Heavy rains and flooding also occurred across the country in 2024, causing widespread casualties and extensive damage to houses in parts of Kachin State, Shan State, and central Myanmar.

Displaced people bearing brunt of floods in Chipwe, Kachin State

Some 300 families of internally displaced persons (IDPs) were forced to relocate as floodwaters from the N’Mai River rose in Chipwe, Kachin State, a town currently controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)

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