GENEVA/BANGKOK, May 23, 2008--Myo Lin* clung onto a tree in the dark for eight hours as Cyclone Nargis raged through Myanmar (Burma). When dawn broke only his son was still alive - his wife and nine-year-old daughter had been swept away.
"When the huge wave of water came our house collapsed and we were flung into the water," he said. "We all grabbed the tree and for hours I held onto it, but it was so dark and the wind was so loud that I could not see or hear anyone else."
"I don't know what happened to my wife and daughter. They must have been swept away by the force of the water at some point, but I will never know. We have lost them, we are on our own now."
Myo Lin's seven-year-old son cannot talk about what happened or his loss, but his grief is obvious.
He and his family, along with a group of others from their village - one of the worst hit areas of the Irrawaddy Delta - and are now being cared for by an ACT member-supported local organisation.
They have clothes, shelter, clean water and enough food - unlike many of the 2.5 million people affected by the cyclone.
"There is no one left in the village now, no one can live there. There is no food, no water, the smell of the bodies and the water is terrible. We had to leave," Myo Lin said.
Half of the 700 people who lived in his village have died or disappeared. Of the 10 children in his group, two are orphans and seven have lost one parent.
"There is only one child with us who has not lost one or both parents. These children are traumatised. In some cases they saw their parents swept away in front of their eyes. Some cannot talk about what happened yet. But it is not just the children who are suffering. The eight families here have lost 12 children between them."
Continued ACT member response
In response to the devastating circumstances, ACT International launched a preliminary appeal last week for US $5,156,215 to provide emergency assistance for up to 1.3 million cyclone-affected people.
Working since the day the cyclone hit, ACT members have provided assistance to more than 100,000 people thus far. One ACT member supported local organisation has already established 21 centres assisting people who lost their homes.
The UN reports that an estimated 2.5 million people are in extreme need of aid. Official figures for the human toll have increased sharply to 77,738 dead, 55,917 missing and 19,359 injured.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that extensive damage to agriculture production risks the loss of the November harvest, given the planting season ends within five to seven weeks. Communities will be dependent on assistance for some months to come if the current planting season is lost.
"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.
Working closely together, ACT members are coordinating their efforts on a daily basis in an effort to maximise assistance to communities in need.
Based on assessments in Yangon and the Irrawaddy Delta area, ACT member-supported local organisations are continuing to provide emergency food aid, water and sanitation as well as temporary shelter and essential relief items. Materials are being delivered from stocks that were purchased in Myanmar (Burma) or were already pre-positioned in the country prior to the disaster.
While needs continue to be great, ACT members report that communities are relying upon local coping mechanisms and are mobilising themselves to care for families and the wider community.
The preliminary appeal requests funding from ACT alliance members to provide up to 1.3 million people with safe water through the rehabilitation of 5,000 water points.
Other planned assistance includes emergency shelter for up to 340,000 people along with at least 10 days of food aid for up to 68,000 people. Members are also planning distribution of non-food items for up to 112,000 people.
Pledges by ACT members currently cover more than 30 percent of the requested preliminary appeal funding.
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* People's names have been changed.
ACT members Christian Aid and Church World Service contributed to this report.
Action by Churches Together (ACT) International is a global alliances of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Sidney Traynham
ACT Communications (Geneva)
+41 22 791 6711 (office)
+41 79 681 1868 (mobile)
sjt@act-intl.org
Stacey Winston
ACT Communications (Bangkok)
+66 87 992 5410 (mobile)
stacey@cwspa.org.pk
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon waves to photographers after arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport May 23, 2008. Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe agreed on Friday to let in "all" aid ...
