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| June 3, 2008 |
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| Aid Workers Making Progress in Myanmar Cyclone Relief |
Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar - June 3, 2008. Myanmar's government is now allowing international staff to access the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar, the area hit hardest by Cyclone Nargis on May 2-3. That means aid workers with specialized expertise in disaster response can be deployed where they're needed most. CARE's first international staffer to reach the region says the relief effort is well underway, thanks to CARE's dedicated local staff.
"Help has been getting there, and it will continue," says Chris Northey, emergency team leader, who traveled to Pyapon in the delta on May 28. "We have hundreds of national staff that have been working on this emergency since the beginning, distributing food and water and emergency supplies."
The survivors themselves are part of the relief effort, Northey adds. "There was a lot of activity, people getting on with life, people getting on with their business. It shows people's resilience that they do find a way of coming back from this."
International staff from CARE and other humanitarian agencies can now apply for permission to access affected zones with three days' notice, a significant change from the three months normally required by the government for travel within Myanmar.
One of the biggest challenges now is transporting aid down through the maze of waterways that make up the Irrawaddy Delta, says Northey. "Many areas where CARE is working are reachable only by boat, and the rivers are filled with downed trees and sunken fishing boats. Local people are vital in order to help negotiate through these waterways."
Northey reports that CARE staff haven't seen major outbreaks of disease or indications of a second wave of deaths. CARE is still concerned about outbreaks of disease and aid workers are monitoring this closely. Interventions to prevent disease include installing temporary latrines and water tanks; distributing water treatment technology and soap; providing fuel for water pumps; and instructing survivors on how to treat drinking water and prevent the spread of disease.
Source: CARE |
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