Natural disaster situation in Mon State
In early July 2026, Mon State experienced heavy rainfall, strong winds, and tornadoes. The following table summarizes the damage and affected population.
July 5 – 6
Tornado/Storm Hits Paung and Mawlamyine
In Paung Township, 74 homes, schools, and 4 government offices were damaged, and 2 monks were injured. In Mawlamyine, 15 homes and a church were damaged.[1]
July 7 – 9
Continued Heavy Rains and Falling Trees
In Sarayan Ward, Bilin Township, 3 women were injured due to heavy rains and falling trees.[2]
July 10
Tornado in Thanbyuzayat and Record-High Bilin River Levels
In Thanbyuzayat, 37 buildings were damaged, and approximately 200 people were affected by the storm.[3] The Bilin River reached its alert level (1,022 cm).[4]
July 11 – 13
Bilin River Reaches Record High, nearly 10,000 Displaced
27 villages were submerged. Over 1,600 people sought refuge in 9 town camps, while approximately 9,000 people from villages needed assistance.[5]
July 15 – 16
Crisis of Forced Eviction from Relief Camps
While floodwater had not yet receded, the military/administration forcibly closed 9 town camps, forcing over 300 people who could not return home to relocate to football stadium grandstands and monasteries.[6]
- Key Challenges and Problems Faced in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster
Following the natural disaster in Mon State, there are currently two major challenges that require urgent attention:
(a)Damage to residential buildings and reconstruction efforts
Families affected by the sudden tornado in Paung, Mawlamyine, and Thanbyuzayat townships are facing a crisis of homelessness, as they are unable to rebuild their damaged homes with their own financial resources. The assistance provided by administrative bodies (approximately 80,000 kyats per household) covers only about two sheets of corrugated iron,[7] which is insufficient for families who need at least 30 sheets of corrugated iron to repair an entire house.
(b) Impact on Agricultural Damage and Food Security
Concurrently, recurring severe flooding in Bilin Township has submerged and destroyed thousands of acres of paddy fields. This has had long-term detrimental effects on the sustainable income of local farmers, family economic stability, and regional food security.
- Inequality in Aid Operations
A significant disparity was observed between Bilin Town and its surrounding villages in the provision of relief and support –
- Aid Gaps between Town and Villages
Only a little over 1,600 flood victims who reached the town’s camps received some food, while nearly 9,000 flood victims from 27 villages along the Bilin River received no humanitarian aid whatsoever. [8]
- Camp Closures and Subsequent Hardships
After the forced closure and eviction from relief camps, over 300 people who could not return to their homes due to persistent flooding were observed to be living in difficult conditions, facing various challenges related to food, shelter, and health at the Bilin Township football field grandstand and monasteries.
- Discrimination and Social Exclusion
Among over 250 storm victims in Paung Township, households and shops located within the 100-foot road area, designated as “squatters,” have not received aid and have been prohibited from rebuilding.[9] This has led to severe long-term difficulties in their livelihoods.
In the provision of relief efforts, discrimination is also being practiced based on administrative classifications of “legal/illegal.”[10] Only houses within legal compounds are registered, while those designated as squatters, who are genuinely suffering on the ground, are being neglected. This exacerbates the social exclusion faced by some of the disaster-affected population.
- The void in the coup-leading military government’s management amidst natural disaster and public suffering
Although the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology issued warnings in advance, there were no preventive preparations on the ground. There was only a post-disaster response system, and disaster management was found to be extremely weak. Due to the near absence of support from the military government’s mechanisms, the affected people are struggling with difficulties through a “self-help” system, such as seeking refuge with relatives and friends or repairing shelters by borrowing money at exorbitant interest rates. In this situation, the main pillar of on-the-ground relief efforts is local charitable organizations. However, due to the country’s conflict, security crisis, and the impact of the conscription law, there has been a decrease in young and middle-aged people in the region. Consequently, in emergency relief and aid sectors during natural disasters like this, there has been an extreme shortage of volunteer manpower from on-the-ground charitable organizations, posing a significant obstacle to timely assistance reaching the disaster-stricken population.[11]
- Socioeconomic Impact of War
In Mon State, specifically in Ye, Bilin, and Kyaikto townships, the social and economic lives of local residents are severely affected by military junta patrols, aerial bombardments, and heavy artillery shelling. After a battle in Tet Taung Kone village, Bilin Township, the military burned down 12 local homes and arrested two people.[12] Similarly, in Zee Kone village, Kyaikto Township, homes and civilians were damaged and injured by aerial and artillery attacks even though there was no ongoing battle.[13] Furthermore, in Ye Township (Ye Chaung Phyar), due to aerial attacks and reconnaissance flights without an ongoing battle, over 1,000 local residents have been unable to return home during according the situation[14] and have to flee to safer places at night, causing them to struggle greatly with agricultural work and family livelihoods. In summary, it is observed that the current military junta government is failing to provide essential humanitarian aid to war-affected residents, and moreover, is undertaking actions that endanger the lives of civilians, destroy their homes and property, and undermine long-term social and economic stability.
- Socio-economic conditions in areas not directly affected by the war
Although some areas in Mon State are not severely affected by direct fighting and the war, they inevitably face unstable commodity prices, fuel shortages, and the impact of the unjust conscription law. In July 2026, due to the military junta’s strict control over fuel imports, quota distribution, and extraction permits through directives, as well as restrictions on trade routes and stringent inspections and seizures of Thai goods entering the border,[15] transportation costs in the region suddenly skyrocketed. As a result of these rising transportation costs and commodity controls, the prices of essential staple foods such as chicken eggs,[16] palm oil,[17] and imported Thai red/white onions increased exorbitantly, reaching around 7,000 to 9,000 kyats per viss. These sudden price increases caused financial and economic difficulties for traders, wholesalers, and ordinary people who heavily rely on border trade goods.
Furthermore, essential fuel for the public once again experienced severe shortages across the townships of Mawlamyine, Mudon, Paung, Thaton, Kyaikto, Thanbyuzayat, and Kyaikmaraw, starting from the second week of July 2026.[18] The military junta imposed restrictions on fuel stations by reducing quotas, implementing QR Code systems and “full/not full” regulations, and arresting business owners, including the MD of Yadanar Min Company, a major importer and distributor. Additionally, the continuous arrests and closures of large fuel stations, including “Htet” in Kyaikto and “Pyi Soe Moe” in Mawlamyine, as well as roadside small pumps, led to most fuel stations ceasing sales, resulting in the fuel shortage in July.
Despite long queues at fuel stations to purchase at the regulated reference price (around 3,400 – 3,550 kyats per liter for 92 octane petrol), many were unable to get fuel as it ran out. Consequently, people were forced to buy fuel at exorbitant prices, ranging from 7,000 to over 10,000 kyats per liter, in the black market. Due to these fuel shortages and high costs, regional commodity transportation and agricultural logistics operations faced difficulties. As a result, even in areas not directly affected by military conflict, there have been commodity shortages and rising prices, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region are encountering numerous obstacles and crises.
- The Education Minister’s Superficial Plan Ignores Grassroots Needs
Education Minister’s Showpiece Project Ignores Grassroots Needs Since the military coup, Myanmar’s basic education sector has been facing severe challenges, including a lack of basic school supplies such as desks, textbooks, and pencils, an almost non-existent number of libraries, and an insufficient number of teachers. However, instead of providing these fundamental necessities, the Ministry of Education under the coup regime has pressured schools in Mon State and Kayin State to cultivate tissue culture bananas and raise dairy cows. While the coup regime’s newspapers cited student nutrition and intellectual development as reasons, on the ground, more than 1,000 banana plants were forcibly planted in Ye Township alone[19], with students, parents, and teachers compelled to participate.[20]
The initiative completely deviates from the core needs of schools. In the current 2026-2027 academic year, teachers are already struggling to cover subject curricula due to a shortage of staff. The inclusion of agricultural activities further burdens teachers.[21] Moreover, private schools in urban areas face land constraints,[22] and teachers are increasingly burdened with administrative tasks, such as submitting photographic records of agricultural cultivation, rather than focusing on lesson preparation or promoting reading among students in libraries.
In conclusion, the junta’s school-based agriculture/livestock policy is an impractical, fanciful project that disregards the real needs of students for educational materials and quality teaching. It directly impacts students’ right to education and learning time, and it highlights the educational landscape under the military regime, where compliance with top-down orders is mandatory.
[1] Independent Mon News Agency၊ July 6, 2026, More than 70 buildings damaged by a tornado in Paung Town. Link
[2] Independent Mon News Agency၊ July 7, 2026, Three women injured by falling tree due to heavy rain in Bilin, Link
[3] Than Lwin Times, July 11, 2026: Around 40 homes damaged by a tornado in Thanbyuzayat, Link
[4] Dawei Watch, July 11, 2026: About 200 people were evacuated as the Bago River reached a dangerous water level.,Link
[5] Than Lwin Times, July 11, 2026, Bhamo flood affects nearly 10,000 people, Link
[6] Than Lwin Times, July 11, 2026: People from the Belin flood relief camp were evicted., Link
[7] Independent Mon News Agency, July 8, 2026, Aid for storm victims in Paung township is scarce, Link
[8] Than Lwin Times, Nearly 9,000 flood-affected people from 27 villages along the Bilyn River did not receive humanitarian aid on July 11, 2026., Link
[9] Independent Mon News Agency၊ July 8, 2026, air disaster victims in Paung Township received little assistance, Link
[10] Independent Mon News Agency၊ July 8, 2026, discrimination in humanitarian aid, Link
[11] Independent Mon News Agency၊ July 8, 2026, Discrimination in humanitarian aid, Link
[12] Than Lwin Times, July 10, 2026, Dozens of homes burned down in the Battle of Bhamo, Link
[13] Than Lwin Times, July 3, 2026, Kyaikhto Zee Kone village bombed by military, Link
[14] Independent Mon News Agency၊ July 7, 2026: Due to continued airstrikes in the Yaychaungphya region, war refugees are unable to return home.Link
[15] Than Lwin TimesThe energy minister’s statement that fuel supply was maintained in Mon on July 18, 2026, differs from reality, Link
[16] Than Lwin Times, July 23, 2026: Egg prices soared under the military-backed government, Link
[17] Than Lwin Times, On July 23, 2026, edible oil will be sold in Mawlamyine only with a oil purchase booklet, Link
[18] Dawei Watch, July 20, 2026, Mawlamyine: Edible oil to be sold only with a purchase book, Link
[19] ရာမညအသံ၊ More than a thousand banana trees were reportedly planted in schools within Ye Township on July 29, 2026, Link
[20] Than Lwin Times, On July 28, 2026, the military government ordered the planting of banana trees in basic education schools in Mon State, Link
[21] DVB, July 29, 2026: Military dictator orders schools to cultivate tissue-cultured bananas and raise cattle., Link
[22] Ramanya Ahthan, July 27, 2026, Private Schools in the City Facing Land Scarcity Link
