Myanmar Cyclone: Help us respond!

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On early Saturday, May 3, Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, also known as Burma, with a tidal surge and wind speeds up to 150 mph. It slammed into the western edge of the Irrawaddy river delta and dumped huge quantities of rain, raising the risk of mudslides inland. Large swathes of the rice-growing delta region are destroyed and nearly 2,000 square miles remain underwater. Officials estimate the death toll to be as much as 100,000 with more than 40,000 missing and millions left homeless. It is feared the death toll will be much higher.

NASA satellite images show the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis on southern Myanmar. On April 15 (top image), before the disaster, the area has sharply defined features. In the aftermath on May 5 (bottom image), much of the Irrawaddy river delta region is clearly flooded.

"Teams are talking about bodies floating around in the water," said Richard Horsey, Bangkok-based spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid. This is "a major, major disaster we're dealing with."

Our Response

Food for the Hungry is working with local partners to provide food, clean water, medicine and shelter to affected families. In neighboring Bangladesh, Food for the Hungry’s Asian operations center has a team of nearly 200 staff trained in effective disaster relief. Last November this team responded with swift expertise when Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh.

Please help us bring immediate assistance to the displaced families in Myanmar. Your generous support will send emergency supplies and a message of God’s love to the hurting.

Please pray that the government will open the door for all aid agencies to enter the country and pray that the quick response will save the lives of many.

In any disaster situation, moving supplies quickly and efficiently to the worst hit areas helps to prevent further loss of life. The scale of devastation caused by the cyclone requires a massive emergency response, but the relief operation in Myanmar faces a number of obstacles:

• Water and Sanitation
  Clean drinking water and proper sanitation are essential for preventing the spread of disease and children will be especially vulnerable to diarrhea, dysentery and even cholera. A lack of electricity is hampering the restoration of the water supply in many areas.
  
  
• Shelter
  Hundreds of thousands of people are without shelter which increases the danger of respiratory diseases. Flooding could also lead to the spread of mosquito-born malaria and dengue fever.
  
  
• Food
  Already high food prices in the region have risen and people are fighting over limited food supplies. The washing away of rice fields will hamper export to surrounding nations, further contributing to the global food crisis.
  
  
• Transport and Supplies
  Aid needs to reach the countryside, but many roads have been washed away or jammed by debris. There is also a shortage of fuel for trucks and prices are soaring. Small boats are needed to move supplies through the river networks to hard-hit areas, but many small vessels were smashed by the cyclone.
  
  
• Government
  The military government of Myanmar is refusing to approve visas for many international relief workers. Trucks carrying emergency food, supplies and medicine sit idle in neighboring Thailand.

Find out more about Food for the Hungry's relief work by downloading our Annual Relief Report