Photo Courtesy of: REUTERS

The death toll continues to rise, with latest estimates at more than 30,000, and some officials estimating a final count near 100,000. The cyclone, which struck on Saturday, May 3, has left nearly a million people homeless and with little or no food, water and shelter. Officials warn that the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis could be more lethal than the storm. Will you prayerfully consider helping Food for the Hungry respond so that more people do not die?

The damage caused by the cyclone is devastating:

• Entire villages have been destroyed - many communities in the worst affected areas are reporting 90-95% damage
• Washed out roads have left many people in remote, inaccessible areas
• Vast rice-growing areas have been washed out
• Millions have been left homeless, in dire need of food, water, medical care and shelter

"Basically the entire lower delta region is under water," said Richard Horsey, Bangkok-based spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid.

"Teams are talking about bodies floating around in the water," he said. This is "a major, major disaster we're dealing with."

With almost 200 staff and our Asia operations center in neighboring Bangladesh, our staff is there. This is the team who swiftly and expertly responded to Cyclone Sidr last November using decades of experience in disaster relief.

We're partnering with local agencies and are moving fast to help displaced families with food, clean water, emergency shelter and medical help. We need your help immediately. Lives are at stake. Please respond today to speed God's care and tangible assistance to Myanmar.

Your prayerful action and generosity will rush powerful and practical expressions of God's love to people in desperate need.

More updates on Food for the Hungry's response are available here.

An upcoming conference co-sponsored by Food for the Hungry & George Fox University on holistic transformation
www.TDconference.org

Join us this August to engage in a reflective and restorative dialogue about holistic transformation and Christian development. Co-sponsored by Food for the Hungry and George Fox University, the Transformational Development Conference will feature Dr. Bryant Myers, Dr. Evvy Campbell, and Dr. Brian Fikkert.

During the growing food crisis, poor families are faced with difficult choices. Not able to afford food for their households, many pull their children out of school and put them to work to find scraps of food or to earn extra income. Others sell what little else they have - tools, livestock and other items necessary for their long-term survival. Child sponsorship provides the child and their family what they need to survive - food, healthcare and education. It also shines the light of Christ into their dark circumstances, letting that child and family know that someone cares for them. Please prayerfully considering sponsoring a child today and helping them not only survive this current crisis but also be equipped for the future, breaking the cycle of poverty

Visit the Global Food Crisis page