OCHA Situation Report No. 15
Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis
20 May 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received by the clusters, 
whose partners include UN Agencies, national and international NGOs, the 
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and IOM.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) today announced that 
Myanmar had agreed to accept international aid agencies and medical 
workers from all ASEAN countries to help with the relief effort. The 
10-member ASEAN group also said Myanmar should allow more international 
relief workers into stricken areas. The Foreign Minister of Singapore said 
that ASEAN 'will establish a mechanism so that aid from all over the world 
can flow into Myanmar". Indonesia's Foreign Minister said that each ASEAN 
country would send a team of 30 medical personnel very soon, with 
unrestricted movement in the country.

2. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief 
Coordinator John Holmes arrived in Myanmar on Sunday evening. Today 
(Monday) he was able to visit Labutta and Wakema townships in the 
Ayeyarwady delta and saw first hand the situation in this area. The ERC 
spent time speaking with the IASC Country Team, Cluster Leads and 
representatives of the Myanmar Red Cross Society and the IFRC to gain a 
clear picture of the progress and challenges in the response. Tomorrow 
(Tuesday) the ERC meets with the Government of Myanmar.

3. The humanitarian community indicates that 500,000 people receive some 
form of international assistance. This is substantially less that the 2.4 
million estimated to be affected of whom more than half (1.4 million) in 
severely affected areas requiring prioritised assistance. It is clear that 
the emergency phase is set to continue for some time. Some people are 
moving back to their places of origin where they will need humanitarian 
assistance as well as the necessary support to restart their livelihoods 
and farming.

4. Heavy rains are continuing and the conditions for road transportation 
remain poor in delta areas.

5. Local authorities in Labutta granted access to villages outside of the 
town that had previously been restricted, as well as to eight government 
distribution stations, for the delivery of food assistance.

6. Health supplies continue to reach the key hospitals in the major 
centres, yet delivery of this assistance beyond the hospitals to the 
outlying communities remains a challenge. At least 50% of health 
structures are damaged or destroyed and restricted access continues to 
hamper the relief efforts.

7. Reliable reports of severe watery diarrhoea continue to cause concern. 
It is important to note that the number of cases is still within the 
normal seasonal range. A reliable early warning system has been put in 
place by the Ministry of Health, UN,national and international NGOs in the 
affected areas. The water supply system has been compromised in many areas 
forcing people to collect water from ponds and rivers which seem to be 
widely contaminated. Every possible action to prepare for a potential 
outbreak is being taken as all risk factors are present. With the upcoming 
rainy season dengue fever is also expected, however the current situation 
poses a more serious outbreak. The Ministry of Health has begun preparing 
prevention activities with the support of the Health Cluster.

8. Also of concern is the fragile situation of children in the 
cyclone-affected areas. Pre-cyclone statistics did indicate that about 
one-third of children under five there suffer from some form of 
malnutrition. While the food supply to the affected areas has improved 
over the past few days, clearly huge infusions of food assistance are 
urgently required. Children are among the most vulnerable in any disaster 
and with so many children already in a weakened state, lack of nutrition, 
water, sanitation and shelter, can be a lethal combination.

9. The Government of Myanmar today declared three days of national 
mourning for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, beginning on Tuesday 20 May. 
State media today reported that over 50 billion Myanmar kyats 
(approximately USD 46.3 million) have been spent on relief works and 
rehabilitation tasks to date.

10. There has been no change in the official figures for dead and missing. 
77,738 are reported dead and 55,917 missing.

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=4037A218084CD9C08525744E007165E5&file=Full_Report.pdf


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