Regarding JAA’s appeal for the Burmese Cyclone many of you have asked about aid getting in to
Burma to help the victims of the cyclone. The following outlines CARE Australia's ability to deliver
emergency aid in Burma.
CARE has had a long engagement in Burma for many years and had in place before the cyclone
approx 500 workers across the country.
A coordinated effort with the local authorities, the UN and INGOs, led by the UN, has enabled
CARE assessment teams to get into the field and an emergency response to commence. CARE
has had support and cooperation from
the local authorities. The UN is continuing to work with local authorities to agree on appropriate mechanisms for the distribution of relief, the receipt of goods and the entry of additional staff with emergency expertise.
Last week, CARE provided relief to 10,000 people sheltering in Pagodas and schools in the South Dagon and Thaketa districts of Yangon. They were provided with water, water purification tablets, oral rehydration solution, essential food items, plastic sheeting, jerry cans and first aid kits. CARE also distributed 600 blankets to people in a camp in Pathein in the Irrawaddy delta.
CARE is currently purchasing supplies in Yangon and Bangkok for distribution in the Irrawaddy delta as soon as possible. These include clothes, blankets, cooking and eating utensils, gas lighters, ropes, mosquito nets, buckets, soap, plastic sheeting, toothbrushes and toothpaste. CARE is organising trucks to transport the goods from Yangon.
To adequately respond to the extreme magnitude of Cyclone Nargis CARE has developed a long-term recovery plan that could last three years or more. The first phase, which is currently underway, focuses on the immediate response to the disaster and will last up to six months. This will be followed by a transitional period, when survivors will begin moving back to normal life and self-sufficiency. The final stage, which could be as far as three years away, will concentrate on re-establishing the social and economic framework that existed before the cyclone hit. CARE International’s Secretary General, Dr Robert Glasser announced the amount of funding needed to support CARE’s programs throughout this period to help survivors would be in the vicinity of $10 million.
