International Medical Corps (IMC) is mobilizing resources to respond with emergency relief to the survivors of Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on Saturday, May 2nd. The U.N. estimates that hundreds of thousands are without shelter in the countryside alone. With thousands more lacking vital resources, like clean water and food, IMC is identifying the most immediate needs of the cyclone victims and how best to get the emergency supplies to them. While the official death toll is nearly 4,000, and another 3,000 missing, the foreign minister has estimated that over 10,000 were killed in the storm. That figure would make this cyclone the worst natural disaster in Asia since the 2004 tsunami.
To help those most impacted by the cyclone, International Medical Corps is preparing to deploy an emergency response team that will address urgent health needs as well as distribute 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.
"The international community needs to work together to address the immediate needs of the affected population," says Stephen Tomlin, vice president of program policy and planning for International Medical Corps. "Without shelter, food, and clean water, people are more exposed to diarrheal illnesses and parasitic infections. In the case of tropical storms, the risk of dengue fever also rises, as flooding not only increases the number of mosquito breeding grounds, but also their proximity to people."
The worst natural disaster in Myanmar in decades, the 10-hour storm packed winds up to 130 miles per hour. It pummeled five areas, including its largest city, Rangoon, and its rice-growing region, the Irrawaddy Delta. With five states declared disaster zones, the government has established an emergency committee headed by the Prime Minister and has asked the international community for help in its relief effort. After destroying much of its agriculture, the cyclone is also likely to increase Myanmar's food insecurity in a time of rising food costs.
Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit our website at www.imcworldwide.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Thai air force personnel prepare a shipment of water for Myanmar at the military airport in Bangkok May 6, 2008. A powerful cyclone that slammed into Myanmar's low-lying Irrawaddy delta triggered ...
