- Relief agency estimates 2 million people affected: Shelter, water are
most urgent needs
- World Vision appeals for $3 million in global donations to provide aid
BANGKOK, Thailand, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tropical cyclone
Nargis has claimed some 350 lives and at least 20,000 homes in Myanmar,
triggering a full-scale response by international aid organization World
Vision.
Dean Hirsch said: "News is only slowly trickling out of the country but
it is clear from the information already available that this is a major
catastrophe demanding an urgent response. We know that some 2 million
people have been hit hard. Many of them are already living in poor
conditions and it will be very difficult for them to recover from this
crisis without assistance.
"My greatest concern is for the children of Myanmar who will be
especially vulnerable at this time," Hirsch continued. "We must get them
shelter, clean water and food as quickly as possible. The threat of the
spread of disease is always at the door when people are living in such
conditions and children are the most likely to succumb to illness."
The government of Myanmar has invited World Vision to provide
assistance in the form of zinc sheets, tents, tarpaulins and medicine. The
agency is coordinating with authorities to explore an airlift of emergency
supplies into the country from one of its global warehouses.
World Vision assessment teams have been deployed to the hardest-hit
areas to determine the most urgent needs. The agency is already providing
clothing (sarongs and t-shirts) as well as tarpaulins and blankets to 100
households in the capital, along with 10,000 kg of rice and 7,000 liters of
water.
World Vision estimates that up to 2 million people may be affected by
the cyclone. The organization has several community development programs in
areas hit by the path of the storm.
In Yangon, Myanmar, World Vision's National Director James Tumbuan
described a chaotic scene: "Yangon totally collapsed. All the roads were
blocked with fallen trees. The way Yangon used to look, with its big trees,
has been totally changed.
"Getting drinking water is a real problem, Tumbuan continued. "We need
water purification units like those that were used in the tsunami. It could
take days to get the electricity back."
Tumbuan said thousands of people were now camped in government schools
in and around Yangon. He noted that one school in particular was now
sheltering 5,000 people.
Dr. Kyi Minn, World Vision's regional HIV/AIDS advisor, said from
Yangon: "The destruction is unbelievable. Elderly people are saying this is
the worst storm they have ever seen."
World Vision's national office in Myanmar is based in Yangon-the
country's largest city and a state-declared disaster zone. The agency has
worked in Myanmar for some 40 years and currently assists children and
families across the country through food assistance, agriculture, health,
clean water, education, income generation, anti-trafficking and nutritional
assistance programs.
The public can help by calling 1.888.56.CHILD or visiting
http://www.worldvision.org.
World Vision staff are available for interviews. Please contact Casey
Calamusa at 206.310.5476 or ccalamus@worldvision.org or Rachel Wolff at
253.394.2214.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to
working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach
their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We
serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For
more information, please visit http://www.worldvision.org/press.
SOURCE World Vision
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Related links:
http://www.worldvision.org
CONTACT:
Casey Calamusa, +1-206-310-5476,
ccalamus@worldvision.org or Rachel Wolff, +1-253-394-2214, both
of World Vision
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