A man salvages glass from his wrecked home near Kunyangon. Picture: courtesy of alertnet.org
Survivors of Cyclone Nargis have given Tearfund’s Christian partners harrowing accounts of the trauma they have suffered.
Two partners are distributing aid to thousands of people affected by the storm and in the course of their work have heard many disturbing reports.
Ko Yin Kalar, 42, lost four family members. His village of Kyane Chaung, which is part of the devastated town of Bogalay, lost almost 90 per cent of its inhabitants.
He is now living in a temporary settlement camp about two hours drive south west of Yangon.
Recalling the cyclone, Ko Yin said, `Amidst the storm and rising water, I tried to pull my father, mother and younger sister to safety.
`But I couldn’t. All of them got dragged away with the wind and water. My life is completely ruined.’
One of our partners has been distributing rice, high energy biscuits, dried noodles, oral rehydration salts, candles and plastic sheeting to the camp where Ko Yin and his remaining family are staying.
Supplies of plastic sheeting for shelter and cooking oil are distributed. Picture: Htein Win
Another Tearfund partner, which works with more than 4,000 churches, is distributing aid to some 23,000 people in some of the worst affected areas.
One of these is the Irrawaddy Delta, where our partners came across a man called Lar Ka Baw from Bogale township who had lost 60 of his relatives, including 14 of his immediate family.
About three-quarters of the residents of his village had been killed.
Lar Ka himself had survived by wrapping himself tightly to a coconut tree but during the storm one of the branches had hit him and he consequently lost his sight in one eye.
He was rescued and taken to Yangon where he’s received hospital treatment and the offer of a place to stay.
Looking to the long term, field staff with both partners recognise there will be considerable need for psychological help for survivors.