Silver Spring, MarylandÃÂÃÂThe Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is responding after Cyclone Nargis, a Category 4 tropical storm, struck Saturday, May 3, killing more than 10,000 people in Myanmar, and leaving nearly 3,000 others unaccounted for, according to the Foreign Ministry.
In response to the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, ADRA emergency response personnel based in the Yangon office are evaluating the damage and determining the most urgent needs in affected areas, after the ten-hour storm slammed the Southeast Asian nation with winds speeds reaching 132 mph. The storm, which left hundreds of thousands of people displaced, blew roofs from hospitals and schools, and cut off electricity throughout the country. ADRA is committed to providing emergency assistance to survivors, including food, water, medical supplies, shelter, and clothing.
The cyclone hit heavily populated Yangon directly leaving many streets, roads, and bridges impassable due to the considerable amount of downed trees and other debris. In some villages, early estimates indicate that 95 percent of homes have been destroyed.
On Sunday, May 4, a state of emergency was declared across five regions, including Yangon, Irrawady, Pegu, Karen and Mon, in which 24 million people live. On Monday, foreign ministry officials said they welcomed international aid and relief items, such as roofing materials, plastic sheets and temporary tents, water purifying tablets, blankets, and mosquito nets.
Updates will be released as ADRA's response efforts expand.
To send your contribution to ADRA's emergency response effort, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give online at www.adra.org.
ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
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Author: Nadia McGill
Media Contact:
Hearly Mayr
ADRA International
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Phone: 301.680.6376
E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.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 ...
