Millions of the world’s most vulnerable population are in the path of Cyclone Mocha.
Cyclone Mocha, which has the strength of a major Category 4 hurricane, is rapidly approaching Cox Bazar in Myanmar, home to the world’s largest refugee camp.
This location is perhaps one of the most vulnerable spots for a severe storm like Mocha to hit, given the precarious and unstable living conditions of the inhabitants. The risk of catastrophic flooding and landslides is extremely high.
As a result, authorities are already evacuating hundreds of thousands of people from the area. Here’s why this measure is so crucial.
A vast area of land is experiencing rainfall in excess of 100 mm, with some locations receiving over 300 mm of rain that extends far inland. The coast is expected to suffer significant damage from winds exceeding 200 km/h, exacerbating the destruction caused by the storm.
Cyclone Mocha is moving towards favorable waters, and there is a possibility that it may intensify into a super-cyclone before it hits the land on Sunday.
The storm shares some similar traits with Cyclone Nargis, a catastrophic natural disaster that ravaged Myanmar in 2008, and is currently at an “extremely severe” strength. The forecasted trajectory of Mocha is also trending towards the north, causing concern among experts that it could potentially have the same impact as Cyclone Nargis.
Regardless, anything close would pose significant risk to human life, the reality Myanmar and Bangladesh both face on Sunday.
