Myanmar: Military chief calls for foreign aid after devastating floods, marking shift in policy

Myanmar’s military leadership has made a rare appeal for international assistance following deadly floods that have ravaged the country. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s army chief, publicly called for foreign aid to help with rescue and relief efforts, acknowledging the scale of the devastation caused by Cyclone Yagi.

“Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims,” General Min Aung Hlaing said, according to state-run Global New Light of Myanmar. He stressed the urgency of addressing the crisis, saying, “It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible.” His comments came as he oversaw relief efforts, with images circulating on social media showing rescue workers retrieving stranded residents, including women and children, from rooftops.

The call for foreign assistance marks a significant departure from Myanmar’s military’s usual stance. In the past, humanitarian aid from abroad has often been blocked or severely restricted by the ruling junta, even in the face of natural disasters. This new plea for help may signal a recognition of the overwhelming scale of the current crisis.

According to the independent news outlet *Myanmar Now*, at least 66 people have died in the country as a result of Cyclone Yagi, which has wreaked havoc across Southeast Asia, claiming over 300 lives in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and the Philippines. Myanmar’s death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search for missing persons, especially in landslide-prone gold mining areas in Mandalay, where dozens are feared buried.

While Myanmar’s government reported rescuing 3,600 people so far, the floods have overwhelmed vast areas, leaving some regions cut off entirely. A military spokesman confirmed that contact had been lost with parts of the country, heightening fears for those still stranded.

The ongoing political and economic turmoil since the military coup in February 2021 adds a troubling backdrop to the natural disaster. Myanmar’s economy is in tatters, and the country is facing a violent armed rebellion. More than three million people have fled the country since the coup, and about a third of Myanmar’s population—some 18 million people—are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

However, Myanmar’s restrictive policies toward foreign aid remain fresh in memory. Last year, the military government suspended travel authorizations for aid agencies trying to help victims of Cyclone Mocha, a move the United Nations called “unfathomable.” Many international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, face severe operational challenges due to security concerns.

As floodwaters continue to rise and the country’s infrastructure buckles under the strain, General Min Aung Hlaing’s appeal for foreign aid may prove a critical turning point—or a fleeting gesture in the face of overwhelming need. Whether this marks a new era of openness remains to be seen, but the devastation wrought by Cyclone Yagi has made clear that Myanmar cannot go it alone.