Rangoon/Bonn. Following the devastating cyclone "Nargis" in Myanmar / Burma Welthungerhilfe is calling for donations for the victims. "We are currently checking the victims' requirements in our project areas", said Angela Schwarz, regional coordinator of Welthungerhilfe in Burma. "Here we are based locally, know the situation and can rely on our many years of experience."
Currently there is above all a lack of drinking water, food, hygienic articles and accomodation. Welthungerhilfe's aid workers are currently travelling around the affected regions to assess the situation, and after this further specific measures can be planned. Power cuts and destroyed telephone lines are making communication virtually impossible at the moment.
Welthungerhilfe is implementing three development projects in the disaster region: For instance in Than Tabin, a suburb of Rangoon with 18 villages and about 1,600 households, the food situation and the public infrastructure has improved for most of the people. "Just recently we were able to complete the seven schools, which now provides shelter for many victims of the storm", explained Angela Schwarz.
In addition two local partners of Welthungerhilfe are also travelling around the Irrawaddy delta to get an exact picture of the situation and assess the requirements of the people. A member of Welthungerhilfe's emergency team is on the way to the disaster region to support colleagues who are working there on location.
The original sound track from Angela Schwarz can be called up at www.welthungerhilfe.de.
Welthungerhilfe has been working since 2002 in Burma. The prime focus of the work is securing food and water supplies in the Northeast of the country and the suburbs of Rangoon. Currently seven Welthungerhilfe international aid workers are involved in nine projects.
Welthungerhilfe is a alliance member: www.entwicklung-hilft.de
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
People stand next to an advertisement tower that had fallen on a street in Yangon May 6, 2008, after Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar's main city on Saturday. Myanmar's military government ...
