Water is still standing in this man's home after two weeks. Donate to Flood Relief

Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries are reaching out to about 3,000 flood victims in Myanmar (Burma). Their villages were completely flooded after heavier-than-usual monsoon rains fell for 20 days straight.

By July 30, the water had risen to 30 feet and completely engulfed an area of Rakhine state in western Myanmar. About 3,000 people live in 25 different villages in this area.

People in 20 villages were affected by the flooding, which left them homeless, washed away their crops and swept away much of their livestock.

"In the early morning, when I got up from my bed I saw the great flood. It was like nothing I had ever seen in my whole life," said one man.

In the town of Ann, about half of the city's 1,100 homes were flooded. At least 200 of those houses are completely destroyed. Crops and livestock were also washed away.

All that’s visible of this house is its bamboo roof.

A river in this area also overflowed its banks and is becoming polluted by the flood water and all the debris. The local people depend on the lake for food, and no one knows yet if the floods caused permanent damage to this body of water.

No death toll is yet available.

GFA teams immediately sprang into action to help the people. They set up an emergency shelter in a church building to house 60 people. They distributed food and clean drinking water to about 200 people. The missionaries also conducted a worship service for the victims and offered prayer and counseling for their weary souls.

The victims are not able to go back to their homes yet as the flood waters remain high. The floods have also cut the villages off from the outside world, as travel into and out of the area is impossible because of high water.

The main roads in the area are full of swirling, dirty floodwaters.

Prayer Requests

The standing, stagnant water is also causing health concerns for both the villagers and the workers. GFA workers in this area shared the following prayer requests:

• Pray for the health of the villagers and the GFA workers.


• Pray for healing for those injured during the storms.


• Pray for provision for those whose crops and livestock were destroyed. Pray that the rice crop would rebound and provide a good yield in spite of the flood.


• Pray for the Lord's provision to help the people repair and rebuild their damaged homes.


• Pray that the volunteer groups working with the victims would work together and not grow weary until they meet all the needs of the people.


• Pray for GFA's work in Myanmar. Several missionaries serve as pastors of churches in the affected area.

• Donate to the GFA Flood Relief Fund.
• Myanmar is ruled by a military junta. Read about the country here.