OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis
7 May 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from the UN 
Resident Coordinator's Office, Myanmar, UN agencies, regional humanitarian 
partners and media sources.

I. SITUATION IN MYANMAR

1. Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar on 2 and 3 May 2008, sweeping through the 
Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region and the country's largest city, 
Yangon. The authorities have declared five states and divisions (Yangon, 
Ayeyarwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin) to be disaster zones.

2. It is quickly becoming clear that the cyclone has caused unprecedented 
devastation in the affected areas. Buildings and infrastructure have been 
severely damaged, and flooding is widespread. The low-lying delta region 
also suffered from the effects of a sizable storm surge, which is feared 
to have wiped out whole villages. Latest state media reports put the death 
toll at approximately 22,500 with 41,000 missing. There are unconfirmed 
reports that 10,000 are reported as having died in the Delta town of 
Bogalay alone. .

3. Hundreds of thousands can be expected to be in need of urgent 
humanitarian assistance. The combined total population of the declared 
disaster areas is around 24 million. Damaged infrastructure and 
communications will pose major logistical problems for relief operations. 
Humanitarian partners in the country have begun the process of collecting 
information about the scale of the destruction, but access to many areas 
remains severely restricted. Certain parts of the delta can be reached 
only by boat, for example.

4. The UN Country Team considers critical needs to be plastic sheeting, 
water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health 
kits and food. Reports of water and fuel shortages are already appearing 
in mainstream media. The food security situation in the country, which was 
already severe, looks set to become far more acute.

II. NATIONAL RESPONSE

5. Military and police units are carrying out rescue and cleanup 
operations. The Government has pledged approximately USD 5 million for 
relief.

III. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

6. The Government has said it will receive international aid. The UN has 
been in close consultation with Government about the need for 
international support, which is available across all the key priority 
areas. Issuance of visas for critical humanitarian actors as soon will 
greatly enhance the international community's ability to meet the needs 
identified by the Government. This is a critical moment for Myanmar's 
vulnerable populations. In the next few days assessments must be provided 
or thousands more could die.

Coordinated In-Country Response

7. The RC/HC a.i. was aiming return to Yangon on 06 May. The Office of the 
acting RC/HC a.i. is in the process of strengthening its coordination 
capacity, by recruiting information management, NGO liaison, public 
information and reports staff locally. The IASC Country Team has met 
during the morning of 6 May to share initial assessment information, and 
to move the cluster response forward including by the development of a 
Flash Appeal.

8. UNICEF, IOM, IFRC and the Myanmar Red Cross are deploying assessment 
teams to affected areas. MRCS is carrying out assessments in some of the 
worst-hit areas, although their resources are likely to become stretched, 
given the considerable burden they are shouldering.

9. Water purification tablets are being distributed by assessment teams. 
Pre-positioned shelter and cooking supplies are also going out. WFP has 
been able to distribute food assistance in Yangon, in cooperation with MSF 
Holland. A flight carrying further WFP supplies is due to land in Myanmar 
tomorrow. Daily movement of small relief items from Yangon to UNDP offices 
in the delta has been established for areas reachable by road. UNDP is in 
contact with the Government about possible bolstering of currently limited 
transportation capacity.

10. Communications in the country are still limited. WFP has been 
procuring medium-term communications support, as lead of the 
telecommunications cluster. Landlines are still down, although at least 
some cell phones are functioning. In regards to Information Management, 
the Resident Coordinator a.i. has signaled that the Myanmar Information 
Management Unit (MIMU) will take the lead in IM activities. It is 
therefore understood that MIMU will cover OCHA's IM responsibilities 
outlined in the Operational Guidance on Responsibilities of Cluster/Sector 
Leads & OCHA in Information Management.' OCHA will support the Resident 
Coordinator's office with IM capacity and guidance where requested and 
feasible. OCHA's IM activities and support will be coordinated through 
OCHA's Regional Office for Asia-Pacific in Bangkok.

11. The office of the RC/HC a.i. is preparing a Flash Appeal, in 
conjunction with IASC partners, though the process is being hampered by 
difficulties in gathering assessment data. The UN is prepared to make 
available, immediately, grants from the Central Emergency Response Fund.

12. There are as yet no clear answers about whether customs procedures may 
be expedited.

Coordination at the regional level

13. An UNDAC team is assembled in Bangkok, ready to deploy; while visa 
applications are pending, it is providing support for the IASC CT from 
Bangkok while visa applications have been submitted to the local Myanmar 
Embassy.

14. OCHA ROAP hosted a second meeting of regional cluster leads on 
Tuesday, 6 May. Participants exchanged information including items such as 
staff safety, planned activities, international appeals and visas. Cluster 
leads were urged to prepare to fully support their IASC CT counterparts 
and to seek to include NGO partners fully in the process.

15. The key updates relayed from the UN Country Team were that the 
clusters have been activated, that donors have expressed a clear 
willingness to support an appeal document, and that the Government is now 
seeking international assistance.

16. IFRC issued an emergency appeal for a preliminary figure of USD 1.3 
million on 6 May. Shelter kits are the key priority. The appeal is in 
addition to USD 189,263 that has been allocated from the Disaster Relief 
Emergency Fund to support assessments and distribution of relief items by 
the Myanmar Red Cross. FACT and RDRT are on standby. IFRC's Regional 
Disaster Manager is now in Myanmar. The Federation has pre-positioned 
stocks in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.

17. Given the variety of information management challenges in-country, 
discussions are ongoing on how to best strengthen the capacity of the 
Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU), including possibly by 
deploying a Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC).

Coordination at the global level

18. An IASC Senior Emergency Officers meeting was held on 6 May 2008 at UN 
Headquarters in New York. Discussed was the urgency to sort the priority 
issues of visas, access, custom clearance, the next steps in connection to 
the Flash Appeal/CERF and the capacity of the humanitarian community on 
the ground. Recommendations for IASC and ERC actions are to be generated.

Update on international assistance

19. OCHA ROAP met with Supreme Commander General Boonsang Niumpradit of 
the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF) on 6 May to discuss potential 
Government of Thailand logistical support to the delivery of assistance.

20. The Secretary-General of ASEAN has called on Member States to provide 
urgent relief assistance to victims of the cyclone. Thailand announced USD 
317,000 in in-kind assistance. Singapore announced on 6 May that it will 
provide USD 200,000 in humanitarian aid. According to a statement released 
by the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the package includes medical 
supplies, drinking water, water purifying tablets, tents, ground sheets, 
blankets, sleeping bags and emergency food. No details are yet available 
on how the aid will be delivered.

21. The Republic of Korea announced a cash contribution of USD 100,000 and 
Japan will provide USD 270,000 of in-kind assistance.

22. The European Commission announced on 5 May that it will provide ~@ 2 
million (approx USD 3.1 million) in fast-track humanitarian aid. The 
Netherlands has indicated that it will make ~@ 1 million available. Canada 
will be providing just under $ 2 million. Denmark has indicated a donation 
of approximately USD 2.1 million and the UK will provide USD 10 million.

23. US announced today to make USD 3 m available, but on the condition 
that US experts be granted access to the country and disaster struck 
areas. This would be on top of the initial announcement of USD 250,000.

24. Initial information received indicates that assistance has been 
offered by: India (2 naval vessels), Thailand (1 C-130).

For updated information on financial contributions, please refer to the 
OCHA Financial Tracking System website: http://reliefweb.int/fts/. Donors 
are encouraged to verify contributions and inform OCHA Financial Tracking 
System (FTS) of corrections/additions/values to this table. FTS' direct 
e-mail address: fts@reliefweb.int

For more information please contact:

International relief focal point:
Mr. Winston Chang
Tel. +4179 469 8589
Email: changw@un.org

OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Mr. Norwin Schafferer
Tel. +66 81174 8335
Email: schafferer@un.org

OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Mr. Sebastian Rhodes Stampa
Tel. +66 89204 2721
Email: rhodesstampa@un.org

Asia and Pacific Desk Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu
Mob: +1 917 476 6164
Tel: 212-963-1773
Email: asekenye-oonyu@un.org


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Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis               www.cidi.org/incident/myanmar-08e