The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has stressed the importance of breastfeeding in Myanmar's flood-hit areas, saying it can protect infants from diarrhea and water-borne diseases as they can be fatal for young children.

Continued rainfall and surging floodwaters have affected 1.1 million people in the country, including nearly 390,000 children, the UNICEF said in a statement.

More than half of the affected are women, including more than 21,000 pregnant women and over 2,000 lactating women, it said.

"As it becomes increasingly difficult to guarantee water sources are safe, the importance of breastfeeding to infant health is even more critical," the statement said.

The UNICEF is working with the government to meet the urgent needs of all children and their families in temporary shelters and those seeking to return home.

The death toll from the severe flooding in the country has risen to more than 100 so far. The deadly flooding has also inundated more than 569,000 hectares of farmland. Endi

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