OCHA Situation Report No. 5
Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis
9 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, making landfall in 
the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region and directly hitting the country's 
largest city, Yangon. A majority of the 40 townships in Yangon and 7 
townships in Ayeyarwady Division remain on the Government's list of 
disaster zones.

2. Major damage has been reported in affected areas, and particularly in 
the low-lying delta region, where the Cyclone's impact was compounded by a 
storm surge. Transport and communications networks have been badly 
damaged, rendering many of the worst-hit areas inaccessible to assessment 
and relief teams. Significant damage has been reported to buildings and 
houses. The official death toll still stands at just over 22,000, with 
more than 41,000 missing, though this may well rise. Precise figures on 
the extent of the disaster or the numbers in need of protection are still 
not available, and many areas of the delta have not been reached since the 
Cyclone struck.

3. Critical remain shelter materials, water purification tables, cooking 
sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits and food.

II. NATIONAL RESPONSE

4. Media have reported that four infantry divisions have been deployed to 
the affected areas, where seven helicopters, 60 fiberglass boats and 10 
ships have been carrying out operations. Water and power have been 
restored in some areas.

III. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

5. The UN continues to consult closely with the Government about the need 
for international support, which is available across all key priority 
areas. It continues to be stressed that the issuance of visas for 
humanitarian actors and the easing of customs rules for the delivery of 
aid remains of vital concern.

6. Two UNDAC members arrived in Yangon from Bangkok this afternoon (8 
May).

Coordinated In-Country Response

7. The Humanitarian Country Team has activated the cluster approach, and 
has finalized a first draft of the Flash Appeal. The Appeal is due to be 
launched in New York at 13:30 tomorrow (9 May). It is envisaged that a 
CERF grant will be made against the Appeal.

Nutrition

8. ACF and UNICEF plan to carry out nutrition surveys in three townships 
in Ayeyarwady Division to gain initial insight into the nutritional status 
of children. UNICEF is providing IEC materials and is awaiting delivery of 
vitamin A and de-worming tablets.

Logistics

9. WFP's logistics response team is in Bangkok, awaiting deployment. 
Yangon airport is already becoming congested. WFP's Regional Logistics 
Officer has joined the WFP in-country, where he will lead the logistics 
cluster.

10. It has been confirmed that the Government's approval for importation 
needs to be obtained prior to arrival of cargo. The Ministry of Revenue 
and Finance is the contact point for this and for related taxation issues.

WASH

11. The WASH cluster in-country is functioning. UNICEF has mobilized a 
WASH cluster coordinator, who is currently in Bangkok awaiting a visa.

Agriculture

12. FAO has obtained clearance from the Ministry of Livestock and 
Fisheries and is proceeding with the preparation of impact assessments in 
the sector. FAO staff, both national and international, has been able to 
move freely in the affected areas. FAO is now mobilising resources for 
supplying the logistics required to facilitate the assessment missions.

Health

13. WHO in-country staff members are working with Myanmar Health Ministry 
officials to carry out health assessments and to distribute health kits 
and chlorine tablets. Discussions are ongoing for the mobilization of 
further supplies, including diarrhoeal disease kits, water and sanitation 
kits, bleach powder and long-lasting impregnated nets. Teams of national 
surveillance officers have been deployed in-country to assess the risk of 
outbreaks of disease. A WHO Epidemiologist in waiting for a visa to assist 
with surveillance.

Education

14. UNICEF Myanmar is in touch with the Ministry of Education, and a 
checklist for school assessments has been sent to township education 
officers. A dialogue is scheduled with the Deputy Minister for Education 
to facilitate support to affected schools.

Shelter

15. UNHCR is working closely with the Myanmar authorities to get our 
shelter supplies into the country by road from Thailand and is also 
exploring sending more emergency shelter materials, mainly plastic 
sheeting and tarpaulins, to Yangon by air from Dubai.

Protection of Children and Women

16. Key concerns are unaccompanied/separated children and the protection 
of women and girls in crowded shelters. Members of the cluster have shared 
information and agreed to coordinate joint multi-sector rapid assessment 
visits. Partners have agreed to set up Child Friendly Spaces in selected 
villages.

Updates from individual agencies

17. WFP has 3,800 metric tons of food commodities in the country, 980 of 
which are in Yangon. 30 tons of rice were distributed yesterday and three 
flights carrying 45 tons of relief supplies were due to land today from 
airports in the region, with a fourth coming from Brindisi.

18. UNICEF has 134 staff in-country. As of 7 May, UNICEF reports that 
inter-agency assessment teams visited 17 of 47 affected townships of 
Yangon, Irrawaddy and Bago Divisions in coordination with Myanmar Red 
Cross Society (MRCS). UNICEF Myanmar has distributed the following: 15,000 
bottles of WaterGuard (dilute chlorine for household water disinfection); 
16 drums of bleaching powder (HTH); family water kits; latrine pans; 
30,000 oral rehydration salts; 61 drug kits (A type); 10 drug kits (B); 93 
first aid kits; 1,000 tarpaulins; and 8 ECD kits to 11 townships in 
Yangon, Irrawaddy and Bago Divisions. Supplies have been distributed in 
collaboration with the Myanmar Red Cross, either via their existing 
channels or by sending out joint missions to Yangon and Irrawaddy.

19. MSF is operational in several IDP sites in and around Yangon, where it 
is attempting to respond to the first needs regarding water and 
sanitation, food distribution and medical consultations. Five MSF clinics 
were badly affected by the initial cyclone, but are now functioning for 
normal treatment of HIV and MCH, as well as general medical needs. In 
South and Southwest Yangon, MSF is extending its assessments to additional 
IDP sites.

20. Save the Children teams are working with community groups to assist 
50,000 people in three townships in Yangon Division. Its distributions are 
now being extended into a fourth township. Teams on the ground estimate 
that approximately 30% of the people reached are children under 12. Save 
the Children is in the process of pulling together a team of child 
protection experts from across the region to help to respond to child 
protection needs in the delta once immediate supplies have been delivered. 
This morning (8 May) trucks with supplies of food (30 MT of rice), salt 
and sugar (for home made oral re-hydration salts) reached Pathein and are 
heading towards the south-western tip of the Ayeyarwady Division where 
they believe almost 150,000 people may be stranded. Boats will be carrying 
fresh water, food and non-food items.

21. An AN26 aircraft chartered by IFRC has been given permission to enter 
Myanmar from Kuala Lumpur, and will take initial relief supplies of 300 
shelter kits into the country today (8 May). Also, a commercial airline 
has confirmed transportation of relief items in the form of 1,000 
tarpaulins and 3,750 jerry cans as an in-kind donation from the Japanese 
Red Cross. Some 300 shelter tool kits and 600 more tarpaulins are also 
prepared for delivery into the country. A combined British Red Cross and 
Swiss Red Cross logistics Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is now being 
mobilised. A FACT (Field Assessment and Coordination) team is also on 
standby. 300 shelter kits from KL will be arriving Yangon around 8pm 
tonight (8 May) and the next commercial flight carrying 1,000 tarpaulins 
and 3,750 jerry cans could arrive tomorrow (9 May) morning.

For more information please contact:

Contact for local media inquiries
United Nations Information Centres
Mr. Aye Win
Tel. +95 123 952

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

Press contact:

(NY) Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Tel. +1 917 367 5126
E-mail: bunker@un.org

(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel. (+41 22 917 2653
E-mail: byrs@un.org

UNOSAT produced satellite image derived maps and corresponding statistical 
information on the floods following Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar, are available 
on VirtualOSOCC/GDACS and

http://www.unosat.org/asp/prod_free.asp?id=66

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=CF053643F96AC37549257444000EF41E&file=Full_Report.pdf


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