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Cyclone Nargis and the subsequent tidal surge hit Myanmar as
families slept on Saturday morning May 3rd, 2008. The
cyclone devastated the Burmese delta region with a toll that the
top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar says could rise to 100,000 without
aid. A U.N. official in Bangkok has stated “thousands of bodies”
were floating in nearly 2,000 square miles of the flooded delta.
For those who survived, close to 1.9 million are displaced and
need food, water, shelter, and medical supplies. There is an
urgent need for help.
The Myanmar Government made an official appeal for international
aid in the aftermath of the disaster. In response, the U.N. and
international NGOs are ready to provide life saving aid to the
victims of the cyclone, but the aid is not getting to those who
need it. Politics is interfering with saving lives; the Burmese
people who need the aid are waiting. Everyone has a right to
access food, water and life saving supplies in a disaster. The
Burmese people have a right to access humanitarian aid
immediately.
In spite of these hardships, the Burmese people have embraced
myanma yoeya and its rich Buddhist tradition of providing
disaster relief through monasteries and local community
networks. Their method is simple. The Burmese people are
procuring essential supplies locally and distributing them
through well-established grass-roots networks. They are also
supporting Buddhist monasteries that are providing food, clean
water, shelter and clothing to the survivors. There is a need to
continue and strengthen these traditional disaster relief
efforts to complement and add to the ongoing international
relief efforts. |
Uplift International plans to implement its emergency relief
effort in stages:
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We will initially procure food, water, clothing, and
life-saving supplies locally. They will be distributed in
partnership with trusted Buddhist monasteries, international
NGOs and established local networks. Prices of basic
commodities are soaring in the wake of the disaster,
compounding the economic plight of those who already live in
poverty. Local procurement will help stimulate the local
economy while directly benefiting the Burmese people. If
local supplies are difficult to procure, Uplift
International will develop alternate plans for procurement.
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We will collaborate with other organizations to complete an
on-site assessment. If appropriate, we will develop a plan
and be ready to ship appropriate supplies based on the
assessment. Our goal is to address post-disaster short and
longer-term needs.
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We have Burmese American staff with recent work experience
and extensive contacts in Myanmar. They will be departing
immediately for Myanmar to assess the situation and
establish a relief program that will eventually transition
to a long-term capacity building health program. We are also
engaging the ASEAN Medical Association to work with us in
this effort and have mobilized all our partners, public and
private, in the region.
Our emergency relief
plan is based on years of experience in disaster relief
throughout Southeast Asia. The emergency humanitarian aid
has always evolved into longer-term capacity building programs
in health. We expect similar success in Myanmar because we have
deep rooted relationships with local community networks and key
Buddhist leaders. As always, our work will be conducted in a
transparent and accountable manner. |
