ActionAid’s response to Myanmar (Burma) cyclone gathers pace

Two weeks since Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy delta, ActionAid has developed a three month relief and recovery programme working through three local partner organisations.

By the end of July we will have reached 27,300 households (136,500 people) in 390 villages. We have allocated funding of £675,000 for this. To date ActionAid has spent £89,000 on relief work.

Through KDN (Knowledge and Dedication for the Nation) Pact Myanmar and Myanmar Egress, ActionAid is currently providing emergency relief in the districts of Pathein, Laputta, Bogale, Pyapon and Ngapudaw.

We are also planning an early recovery programme in Ngapudaw, where there was less destruction and farming can quickly resume.

Roger Yates, ActionAid Head of Emergencies said: "Recovery must go hand in hand with the relief effort. People remain very vulnerable for a long time after a disaster so we need to ensure that they are getting all the help they need.

"It’s equally important to ensure that people are given the means to get on with their lives. That takes money and I would urge the public to keep giving to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal."

With KDN and Pact Myanmar, ActionAid is funding:

• Two temporary settlements in Pathein for 3,900 homeless people from 44 villages in Laputta – providing food and water, shelter, clothes and mosquito nets: one camp has since been handed over to the government but ActionAid partners retain access and still fund two hot meals a day for people in both settlements.
• Distribution of food and water to people in the 44 villages whose houses were not destroyed, aiming to extend to 180 villages by the end of May.
• One temporary settlement in Kwelwe providing food and water, shelter, clothes and mosquito nets to 120 homeless people.· Distribution of food and water to 17 villages in Ngapudaw with a population of 8500.
• Distribution of food and setting up cash-for-work programmes (cleaning and clearing up, and digging new water harvesting ponds) in 34 villages in Bogale with the aim of extending to 40 villages by the end of May.
• One medical centre in Pyapon serving 550 villages from which six mobile medical teams (including one doctor and one assistant doctor in each team) operate.

We are working with Myanmar Egress non-profit organisation founded by Myanmar scholars and social workers.

The team assisting with the relief operation comprises of 10 staff and 100 volunteers including 10 young doctors.

With ActionAid funding, Myanmar Egress has reached 50 villages with one-off distributions of food and water, temporary shelters, clothes, household items and medical supplies and has also started cash for work programmes.That will increase to 12,100 households (60,000 people) across 220 villages by the end of July.

To make sure that work is carried out we have also helped train more than 200 partner staff and volunteers in emergency distribution, relief and recovery work.