Myanmar need your help!!

Join the Red Cross in its mission to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. You can make your donation by following way:

1. Banking

Account name:

The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China (National Headquarters)

A/C number:

Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd. Ho Ping Branch

Account No. 121-20-0350481

2. Post office

Account Name:

The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China (National Headquarters)

Account Number: 1597-8888

【News Reference】

Aid moving out in Myanmar but more needed
9 May 2008 By Joe Lowry in Yangon

Supplies of aid to the multitudes affected by the devastating cyclone in Myanmar last week are gradually scaling up, according to Red Cross Red Crescent workers in the southeast Asian nation. In recent days over 220,000 people have received some form of aid from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), other organizations and the general public. Over 80,000 of them have been served by Myanmar Red Cross.

“All type of supplies have been issued,” said Michael Annear, regional disaster management coordinator with the International Federation. “Food, hygiene kits, water purification tablets, mosquito nets, sanitary supplies and most importantly shelter materials.”

An International Federation-chartered plane carrying six tones of shelter materials (tarpaulins, poles and tools) arrived in Yangon on 8 May and another plane arrived today (9 May) with a further eight tones of similar materials.

“Shelter material is an absolute priority now, although we are keeping a very close eye on the health situation”, said Annear. “With a lot of stagnant water around we are already hearing reports of isolated outbreaks of intestinal and mosquito-borne diseases.”

The International Federation team in Myanmar was swelled on Friday by the arrival of an assessment team made up of representatives from the German, Irish and Danish Red Cross.

They will contribute to the analysis of information currently being fed in by eight Myanmar Red Cross assessment teams who are working around the capital and the worst affected areas of the Irawaddy delta.

While Yangon and its population of six million is estimated to be less heavily affected than regions further south, the damage in the city is staggering. Hundreds of Myanmar Red Cross volunteers are contributing to the cleanup, which has already led to more freely flowing traffic, though everywhere one looks there are roofs torn off buildings, trees down, advertising hoardings twisted into bizarre shapes and lamp-posts smashed like matchsticks.

Many, many thousands of people are homeless and are living in pitiable conditions. Hospitals, schools and other large buildings are crammed with the displaced. We saw evidence that some aid, such as newly-installed or repaired pumps are working, but the water around and near these buildings is blacky-brown and foul-smelling.

The Myanmar Red Cross and the International Federation works closely with government officials, sharing information as it comes in, gradually forming a picture of the myriad needs in this devastation and highly-complex natural disaster. Regular coordination meetings with other organizations are held in Myanmar, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Geneva.

Disaster strikes aid shipment in Myanmar
11 May 2008 By Joe Lowry, Information Delegate, Myanmar

The International Federation and Myanmar Red Cross aid effort to survivors of Cyclone Nargis suffered a blow early on Sunday 11 May when the first aid shipment travelling by river to the disaster area sank.

It is believed that the cargo ship carrying relief supplies for over 1,000 people hit a submerged tree trunk and started taking on water. The crew steered to an island but the boat sank rapidly. All crew members, including four Myanmar Red Cross relief workers on board – Tun Tun Win, Wu Shein, San San Win and Kyu Kyu Win, two men and two women – managed to get to safety.

"This is a great loss for the Myanmar Red Cross and for the people who need aid so urgently", said Dr Aung Kyaw Htut, head of training for the Myanmar Red Cross who is now acing as distribution team leader. "This would have been our very first river shipment and it will delay aid for a further day."

The boat, a double decker S-type named Sein Win Kyi was travelling from Yangon to Mawlamyinegyun, some 12 hours by boat when it sank near Myinka Gone village. It was carrying 100 bags of rice, 5,000 litres of drinking water, 10,000 water purification tablets, 200 jerry cans to carry water, ten stretchers, 30 boxes of clothes, 30 family kits containing 22 different household items each, 1,000 bars of soap, 800 rubber gloves and 1,000 surgical masks.

Most of the supplies had been procured locally by MRCS but the jerry cans arrived on one of the first Federation aid flights into the country on Friday.

Local people in this remote area, the crew and Red Cross staff have managed to save some relief items and these will be transported by foot, bicycle and any other means to the nearest town to await onward shipment. It is not known how much of the cargo has been lost, but the food supplies would have been contaminated by river water.

The boat sank early in the morning near Bogalay, a town extensively damaged by the cyclone. In the region some 260,000 people out of a total population of 350,000 are thought to have been affected. Almost 10,000 are reported dead or missing.

The International Federation's disaster manager in Yangon, Michael Annear described the sinking as "a big blow. Apart from the delay in getting aid to people we may now have to re-evaluate how we transport that aid."

Also Sunday, the International Federation's head of delegation Bridget Gardener travelled to Bogalay with Myanmar Red Cross senior management on an assessment mission approved by the Minister of Health. It is the first time a senior international aid figure has travelled to the affected region.

In Yangon, Myanmar Red Cross volunteers today started distributing 600 bags (five tonnes) of rice donated by the World Food Programme.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ifrc.org/news/index.asp