As little as 6 euros can provide plastic sheeting to give shelter for a family or enough food for a mother and her children for a week. DONATE NOW:
For Switzerland: CCP :17-586-625 and mention "Myanmar appeal".
For other countries: please give through your nearest CARE Member.
GENEVA (May 6, 2008) – Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (Burma). CARE's national emergency appeal will provide direct assistance to survivors in two of the hardest hit areas.
Recent reports suggest the death toll will exceed 25,000 while hundreds of thousands of people have been made homeless due to the mass devastation.
Poor families living in fragile houses in areas around Yangon were among the worst hit.
Infrastructure throughout the affected areas has been severely damaged, cutting off roads and telecommunications. Many of the affected areas can only be reached by boat and roads remain littered with debris. Fuel stocks are depleting rapidly which will affect the transportation of clean drinking water, food and other emergency supplies.
‘Our experience in emergency response tells us that the loss of life is often greater than initial reports suggest,’ says Jonathan Mitchell, CARE's Emergency Director. ‘The enormity of Cyclone Nargis and its true impact are yet to be known.’
CARE is currently conducting field assessments in South Dagon and Thaketa areas to determine where the need is greatest. At present the provision of shelter and safe drinking water are the highest priorities followed by food and sanitation.
Today, CARE Teams in South Dagon and Thaketa found thousands of people who have lost their homes, sheltering in Pagodas and schools.
CARE will be providing plastic sheeting, food, jerry cans, water purification tablets and oral rehydration solution to those affected in South Dagon and Thaketa.
Significant funds are required to ensure CARE can deliver rapid assistance to the thousands of people affected by the cyclone. With the death toll steadily rising CARE is appealing to the public to give generously in the face of this disaster.
‘CARE is responding and appeals to the public to support us to deliver life saving aid’.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Dowell, CARE International, Geneva, [email protected]