Yangon Yinyang Volume 2 Number 3

Yangon Yinyang Volume 2 Number 3

I’m half a day ahead of you so if it’s news to you, it is history to me.

Dateline: Ayeyarwaddy Delta, Myanmar 12 July 2009

ADRA Myanmar One Year After Cyclone Nargis
Cyclone Nargis hit the Ayeyarwaddy Delta of Myanmar the night of 2 May 2008. The official estimate is about 143,000 deaths. Approximately 2.5 million people lost all or most of their homes and possessions.
ADRA Myanmar had a team working in Labutta Township in the delta building bridges and jetties when the storm struck. One regular employee and 8 day laborers died in the cyclone. The others survived in trees, buildings, or wherever they could. The next morning Teddy Din, Associate Country Director and team leader, immediately began the search for the rest of the team members. Once the team was accounted for, they began rescuing other victims and providing any assistance needed.
ADRA Myanmar, with the help of the Emergency Management Bureau from ADRA International and many others from the ADRA network, began a large-scale response to the disaster. Because of the presence of staff in the delta and in the country office in Yangon, ADRA was able to mobilize people and material. In addition to the support provided by the ADRA network, other organizations recognized that ADRA had the capacity to deliver money and material faster and more efficiently than if they established their own operation and so they channeled their resources through ADRA.
During the initial response, the value of the supplies and money to distribute those supplies totaled more than US$ 8,000,000. ADRA staff worked long hours under difficult and dangerous conditions to ensure the maximum assistance to the cyclone victims. Several country offices provided their staff for technical support in addition to staff from the country office and from projects in other parts of Myanmar.
The loss of life and property damage during the cyclone was severe but thanks to quick response by the people, the authorities, and the international community, there were no outbreaks of diseases commonly associated with such disasters.
First aid, shelter, food, water, and sanitation were the primary concerns. ADRA provided all of these in the large geographical area designated as ADRA territory. Other NGOs were also assigned their territory to insure coverage and avoid overlap and duplication.
When it was determined that the survivors had the minimal conditions for survival, work began to repair water and sanitation facilities, provide better shelter and health care, restoration of livelihoods, and emergency food rations. The international donor community was generous and ADRA Myanmar has received a series of grants to provide these services.
Some projects were supplies to be distributed immediately; some were infrastructure development for 2-6 months. ADRA Myanmar continued to write proposals and demonstrate the capacity to complete the projects and the portfolio of projects for longer periods has expanded.
Currently we are providing medical teams working in temporary clinics and mobile clinics. These are the only health facilities available until the normal health care system is rebuilt.
Safe drinking water and sanitation are the major activities at present. ADRA is rehabilitating and digging wells. New ponds are being dug for rainwater storage. These ponds are fenced to keep animals out and access points built into the pond allow water to be collected without going into the water and decreasing quality. Rainwater catchment systems and storage tanks are built for schools, clinics, and other public buildings. Water treatment and clean storage improve the quality of water. Families are receiving containers to store water at the house and ceramic water filtration containers are provided to ensure they water consumed is safe. Thousands of family and school latrines are being constructed. Education about the importance and techniques of good personal and family hygiene emphasize the benefits. Cases of diseases generally related to water borne contamination are few.
ADRA is distributing food supplied by the World Food Program to families in about 150 villages. Crop yields were low in the first harvest after Nargis because of the loss of topsoil and salt contamination from the tidal surge. The coming monsoons should leach the salts and the need for emergency feeding will be reduced.
At present, we are in the rehabilitation phase and the total value of projects funded and in progress is about US$ 3,000,000. More than 200 employees are engaged in the delta plus large numbers of day labor jobs that provide vital employment for local families.
ADRA Myanmar has continued all of our projects in the other parts of the country. There was a temporary movement of some staff but they returned to their original assignments or new staff was recruited. Water and sanitation, food security, agriculture skills, vocational education, and other activities to enhance the safety and economic stability of the people mean long-term benefits and eventual escape from poverty.
ADRA Myanmar remains a major force in the delta. Our ability to generate funds and implement projects has enhanced the good reputation we had before the cyclone. Local authorities encourage us to expand and assist with the necessary permits and authorization to implement. The transition from humanitarian response to long-term development is occurring and we anticipate a strong presence into the future.
Cyclone Nargis caused extreme damage and hardship but it also made donors aware of the needs in Myanmar and many who assisted with the emergency response are now supporting the development projects needed to improve the lives of so many people.
ADRA Myanmar is fortunate to have so much support from the international community. Money, material, and personnel are easy to count and the dollar value can be calculated. The encouragement and moral support are not tangible but are just as important in reminding us that we are engaged in something more than projects and activities. We are serving the people of Myanmar and we are changing the world, one life at a time.


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Doug