Burma Cyclone Relief

TEAR Australia has made an initial commitment of $250,000 toward the relief and rehabilitation work of our partners in Burma. So far, TEAR Australia has supported World Concern Burma's immediate response, and Hope International Development Agency's medical team (see details below).

TEAR Australia's commitment is to fully engage the funds we raise in immediate relief, medium-term recovery, and follow-up reconstruction work in Burma, over a three to five year period.

The situation:

As each day passes, the death toll from Cyclone Nargis rises exponentially. It now appears that more than 100,000 people may have died, many of them swept away by massive waves that inundated the delta, flooding low-lying villages. Some villages have lost 95% of homes and 90% of their population. Reports we are receiving from the field tell of severe diarrhoea in villages, with fears of cholera already present.

One partner representative reports from Yangon:

"Bodies are floating in the mouths of the Ayewaddy River and are being picked up by steamers operating in the area. This poses a major public health crisis for the area, for the health team and for the rest of the country."

World Concern Burma:

David Allan, Country Manager of World Concern Burma, and TEAR Australia fieldworker, reports from Yangon:

"World Concern Burma (Myanmar) is involved in assessment and response planning (with other agencies). Initial assessments are currently underway.

"Impacts are worst in eight townships in the Divisions of Irrawaddy and Yangon, where reports are that 90-95% of rural housing has been destroyed. Bago-East Division has also been classified a disaster area.

"World Concern Burma (Myanmar) has assisted partners to mobilise first response medical and assessment teams into three of the worst regions. We currently anticipate that our key role may be in assisting and facilitating local partner organisation* responses, as the most effective community-based approach to assistance."

* Note: Local partner organisations will include churches, Christian organisations and small community-based groups. By working through networks already established, World Concern Burma will maximise its reach to widely distribute goods and services.

One of World Concern Burma's ongoing development projects, in Mon State, has been affected by the cyclone, though it was not in the line of most extensive damage. An assessment team is preparing a more detailed assessment.

The structure of the World Concern Burma office has suffered considerably from storm damage. They have no water, electricity, phone or internet. This is making communications extremely difficult. Escalating fuel prices are also limiting transport options, even around Yangon.

Fieldworkers:

TEAR Australia's three fieldworkers working with World Concern Burma - David Allan, Tamas Wells and David McClintock - have been working around the clock to develop and manage emergency responses. Please continue to keep them, and their families, in your prayers.

Hope International Development Agency:

A staff member from HOPE International Development Agency, reports from Yangon:

"We just helped organise and resource a local partner with 50 local medical volunteers going out as mobile medical teams. They are taking along chlorine concentrate for making safe drinking water, clothes, money to buy food, and medicines. They also have doctors (including surgeons) and nurses along for treating patients. They will be conducting assessments in areas they can access and determining how to best assist in the future.

They will head to the worst hit townships and see what the needs are and try to take care of some of the worst injuries. This team will travel with portable surgery suites, generators, medicines, etc. that have been built into small buses. They will go with 4WD vehicles to scout the road ahead and also to carry people from remote areas to the buses. The initial time they will be gone will be 7 days according to the current plan. Then they will come back with the information gathered from the first trip, reprovision and head out again."

Please pray:

• Pray for Hope International's medical volunteers, for safety as they travel, for access to adequate medicines, for access to those most in need and for their own health.
• Pray for access to emergency supplies, including food, water purification, shelter, clothing and household goods, particularly considering that prices are skyrocketing and transport is extremely disrupted.
• Pray for the ongoing health and safety of World Concern staff and volunteers who will face dangerous and difficult work distributing emergency supplies. Pray for them as they work with communities traumatised by grief and loss.
• Pray for communities who have lost their loved ones, homes, possessions and next season's harvest.
• Pray for clean water and sanitation supplies, that shipments of jerry cans, water purifiers, chlorination tablets and temporary toilets will reach those in need.
• Please pray for the families of TEAR Australia fieldworkers, as they face mounting pressure on food, fuel and water supplies in Yangon, with no electricity or communications.

Media Enquiries:

To Sally Cloke on Ph: 0432 885 304 or Email: sally@tear.org.au

Please Note:

Should this appeal be oversubscribed, funds will be allocated to ongoing rehabilitation and community development with World Concern Burma, or to similar project work. TEAR Australia's administration levy will be 7.5%, which is standard for major disaster income.

Related Countries:

Burma

Related TEAR Partners:

World Concern Burma