Cyclone in Myanmar

Latest Update from the Field
Updates from our partners in Myanmar
By GlobalGiving – Project team, July 11, 2008

Thanks to continued support and donations from the GlobalGiving community, we have made emergency grants to four of our partners in Myanmar during the critical months following Cyclone Nargis. Although the storm has passed, millions of families are still affected and the recovery stage is currently underway. Our partners continue to support Burmese communities, helping to rebuild schools, villages and providing farmers with seeds and fertilizer. Below are updates from the four organizations who have received your generous donations:

RELIEF INTERNATIONAL (RI)
RI is working with teams of local doctors and health professionals to provide life saving services to the most vulnerable and help contain the spread of infectious disease.

Currently several medical teams are working around the clock in 4 RI supported health clinics in South Dagon. To reach remote populations, RI has also established mobile clinics to provide emergency treatment to those unable to access available resources.

While RI-supported clinics are treating hundreds of patients per day, the number of people in need is much greater. RI is expanding operations to damaged areas including Kunchan Gone Township and outlying areas. Generous public support has made it possible for RI to provide direct life-saving medical services to surviving communities and families.

-To read more updates from this project, visit: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2093a.html

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES (IDE)
IDE’s first response to cyclone Nargis survivors has been to provide clean water supplies for those in the worst affected areas of the Irrawaddy Delta. Our teams are currently setting up over 100 Water Basket systems per day reaching up to 25,000 people. We’re also providing cyclone victims with temporary shelter materials- plastic sheeting procured locally in Yangon and locally available bamboo poles.

IDE is also providing food and basic necessities for groups of homeless survivors. This is being done through cash transfers of between US $5 and $15 per family. Most monasteries have well managed distribution systems that are targeted and fully transparent. Families use these donations to purchase rice, cooking oil, medicines, blankets, and other basic necessities.

As of 12 June:
-452 villages have been reached by our teams
-32,830 households (175,000 people) have received shelter tarps
-3,387 clean water baskets have been installed, benefiting approximately 350,000 people
Beginning in July, we will begin our medium-term agricultural recovery strategy, which will provide assistance to 25,000 small plot farmers who require seeds, fertilizer, irrigation pumps, and other inputs.

-To read more updates from this project, visit: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2081a.html#progressReports

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS (IMC)
IMC’s emergency response team is in Myanmar. Based on field assessments, we are facilitating distribution of relief items and administering necessary health services to the victims. To maximize its efforts in providing assistance, IMC is developing partnerships with other agencies on the ground.

With thousands lacking vital resources, IMC is addressing urgent health needs as well as distributing medical supplies, water purification tablets, sanitation items and hygiene kits. IMC is also exploring potential local partnerships to maximize relief efforts. With many of Myanmar’s roads impassable due to flooding and debris, humanitarian agencies are also assessing how best to reach the affected areas to administer services.

-To read more updates from this project, visit: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2080a.html#progressReports

MADRE, International Women’s Rights Org.
Contributions to MADRE’s project are channeled to three of our Women’s Human Rights Defenders Network sister organizations: Shan Women Action Network, Women’s League of Burma and the Migrants Assistance Programme.

While the operations of most large aid agencies are still grounded at the borders, the networks of Burmese women supported by MADRE have been mobilized since day one of the crisis, offering relief on a person-to-person basis. One of MADRE’s primary objectives is sheltering children until safe and legitimate adoption systems can be established. .

-To read more updates from this project, visit: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2085a.html#progressReports

CHF INTERNATIONAL
CHF is continuing to provide support through the international shelter cluster, as well as in the areas of water/sanitation, and health, coordinating activities and leveraging experience from other disaster areas for effective and appropriate shelter solutions.

The CHF team in the region is continuing to work with its partners to develop assessment tools and plans to distribute shelter kits and water/sanitation interventions to help those we can reach as soon as possible.

-To read more updates from this project, visit:
http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2079a.html#progressReports