UK provides £2m in aid for victims of Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar

The aid will provide clean water, shelter for up to 175,000 people and help to ease the threat of disease

A girl stands next to her destroyed house at Ohn Taw Chay refugee camp in Sittwe, Myanmar, on May 16 after Cyclone Mocha. AFP

The UK government said on Friday that it will provide an additional £2 million ($2.4 million) in humanitarian aid to support communities affected by Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar.

The funding will supply clean water and shelter for up to 175,000 people, and help to ease the threat of disease, the government said.

The cyclone has devastated vulnerable communities across north-west Myanmar, with reports of many deaths among the Rohingya.

The cyclone has exacerbated what is already a desperate humanitarian crisis.

After the 2021 military coup, more than 17.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, more than 1.8 million are displaced and about 15 million people have limited access to food.

As the effects of Cyclone Mocha become clearer, residents' needs look set to increase.

The UK has previously redirected £650,000 of funding to local and international partners to provide emergency assistance to those most in need.

Myanmar and Bangladesh brace for cyclone - in pictures

People in Shahporir, Bangladesh, hurry to a cyclone shelter after Cyclone Mocha made land in Teknaf. Reuters

A Shahporir islander makes repairs to his house roof, which was destroyed by the cyclone. AFP

Fallen trees in Kyauktaw in Myanmar's Rakhine state. AFP

Devastation left by Cyclone Mocha in Kyauktaw, Myanmar. AFP

Kyauktaw is lashed by the cyclone. AFP

Kyauktaw is lashed by the cyclone. AFP

Strong winds and heavy rainfall at a camp for displaced Rohingya people in Sittwe, Myanmar. Reuters

Two children seek shelter as rains caused by approaching Cyclone Mocha fall in Sittwe, in Myanmar's Rakhine State. AP

Taking shelter at a school in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters

Bangladesh and Myanmar were bracing on Sunday as the extremely severe cyclone was set to hit their coastal areas, and authorities told thousands of people in both countries to seek shelter. AFP

Women take shelter with their children on Shahpori island, Bangladesh. AFP

A cow walks on an almost empty street in Kyauktaw, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. AFP

People ride an autorickshaw amid heavy rains in Kyauktaw. AFP

Women shelter with their children on Shahpori island. AFP

People carry their belongings to a shelter on Shahpori island. AFP

A motorcyclist on a nearly empty road in Sittwe. AP

“Cyclone Mocha has caused devastation for communities who were already extremely vulnerable, including the Rohingya," UK International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said.

"The UK is providing £2 million of new funding to support the many thousands of people left without shelter or access to clean water in Myanmar.

"By partnering with organisations already on the ground in north-west Myanmar, we will be able to quickly deliver the life-saving support that survivors need.

Cyclone Mocha kills dozens in Myanmar - video

Since 2017, the UK has provided more than £81 million to assist Myanmar communities in Rakhine state with water, hygiene and sanitation, emergency food and nutrition services, and health care.

More than £29.8 million of the funding has directly supported Rohingya and other Muslim minorities.

The UK government said it had enhanced due diligence to ensure that no UK aid benefits the Myanmar military regime.

The government also repeated its call to end to all violence, and provide protection of civilians and full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all those in need.