The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that severe weather conditions have been affecting Myanmar since mid-April, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Monday.

According to the national authorities, an estimated 59,000 people have been affected and 21 people killed by strong winds, hail and heavy rains in some regions and states, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

Some 1,900 houses have been destroyed, he said.

Humanitarian organizations are providing emergency shelter assistance to 550 displaced families in Kachin State, whose shelter units were damaged or destroyed by the severe weather conditions, the spokesman said. "Further assessments are being carried out to support repairs and reconstruction of shelters."

Extreme weather has hit several parts of Myanmar in mid-April, with gale-force wind toppling around 1,700 ancient pagodas and destroying several houses and causing power outage in some areas in Shan state-south. The affected tourist attraction sites were closed by the local authorities to make way for clearing of debris, according to Sunday's official reports. Endit

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