Global Disasters/ Significant Events – August 4, 2013

About 5 percent of China’s population directly affected by drought

FIRE-EARTH Models show up to 60 million people in China are affected by the persistent drought in at least 12 provinces.

Hundreds of rivers, lakes and reservoirs along the Yangtze River have dried up amid worsening drought, said the local drought relief headquarters.

“Figures released by the Hubei Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday showed that 900 reservoirs and 132 rivers have been affected by the drought, causing one-third of the province’s farmland to dry up.”

Widespread drought has severely affected also the provinces of Hunan and Guizhou , as well as Chongqing Municipality in the Yangtze River valley, a major rice-producing area.

Original caption: Villagers pump [the last drops of] water from the riverbed of a dried river to farmland in Jiangjiaping Village, Qiyang County of central China’s Hunan Province, Aug. 2, 2013. Hunan Province has been hit by the most severe drought in 10 years since July, which caused drinking water shortages for about 1.38 million local people by Aug. 1. The local authorities has taken measures to combat the drought. (Xinhua/Li Ga). More images…

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China bans milk powder imports from New Zealand, Australia

China has banned imports of all milk powder from New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand’s trade minister said. The ban comes after bacteria that can cause botulism found in some dairy products, said a report.

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Monsoon floods kill at least 100 people in Pakistan, Afghanistan

A vast region in Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan has again suffered devastating monsoon floods for a third consecutive year.

The floods have destroyed or damaged thousands of  homes and businesses, as well as much of the local infrastructure in both countries. Meantime, officials have warned that more rain could hit the region.

In 2010, the worst monsoon floods in Pakistan’s history left about 2,000 people dead and affected more than 21 million others.

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Severe flooding displaces more than 247,000 people in southern Philippines

At least 20 towns were flooded in the southern island of Mindanao, following a week of monsoon rains, displacing about quarter of a million people, the country’s national disaster relief agency said.

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Floods inundate at six towns on Myanmar-Thai border

Extreme Rain Events have flooded creeks Myanmar-Thai border inundating towns in the southeastern state of Kayin, reports said.

“Myawaddy, another town along the Myanmar-Thai border, was heavily flooded and Myawaddy-Hpa-an border trade routes were inundated,” said a report.