Burma appeal update

29 May 2008

Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma on May 2nd, has claimed the lives of approximately 134,000 people. It is estimated that 2.5 million people have been affected by the disaster.

The cyclone struck the Irrawaddy river delta region, southwest of the capital Yangon. It destroyed tens of thousands of homes and wiped out rice crops, leading to fears of widespread food shortages. 

Nearly a month on, the situation remains desperate. People are still in urgent need of shelter, food and water. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that extensive damage to agriculture production risks the loss of the November harvest. Communities will be dependent on aid for some months to come if the current planting season is lost.

Y Care International launched an emergency appeal on 7th May to raise money for our partner, ACT International and our partner YMCAs in the region, to provide vital support to the most vulnerable people.

“The immediate priority is to continue getting life-saving assistance out to those in need, but ACT members also foresee significant rehabilitation challenges ahead, including food security and livelihood recovery,” said John Nduna, Director of ACT International.

ACT International is coordinating relief efforts among its members and their local partner organisations. To date, ACT partners have distributed clean water, emergency food and non-food items to over 100,000 people. They are mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and are procuring relief goods locally in Yangon and the Delta region.

“The effects of the destruction are seen almost everywhere….But what is striking is the coping mechanisms of the Burmese people….They are mobilizing themselves to help their families and their communities,” explains an ACT member representative.

ACT plans to provide up to 1.3 million people with access to safe water through the rehabilitation of 5,000 water points. They are also providing emergency shelter to 340,000 people, food aid for up to 68,000 people and distributing non-food items to over 100,000 people.

“This is an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and the opportunity (for cyclone survivors) to plan for the future is being eroded day by day,” said an ACT representative.