It’s early days in the response to Cyclone Nargis but the recovery operation is already looking like one that will last months, if not years.
The southern tip of Myanmar took the brunt of 120mph winds and a massive tidal surge leaving a death toll running into tens of thousands.
More than 40,000 people are missing and a million are homeless, while the country’s infrastructure has been extensively damaged.
Tearfund has released £150,000 immediately to enable our partners in Myanmar - the Myanmar Baptist Convention and World Concern Myanmar - to assess the initial relief needs in the aftermath of the cyclone.
Both are long-standing partners. The former has a vast spread with more than 4,000 churches across the country and can therefore mobilise a large number of people.
The Baptist Convention also has valuable knowledge of relief work gleaned from previous floods and cyclones.
Helping survivors
World Concern Myanmar has experience of working with communities in the areas affected by Nargis. It also has good connections with the local authorities as well as UN agencies.
The first job for both, which is well underway, is assessing the needs of the cyclone’s survivors.
Providing shelter already looks key. Thousands of homes were flattened by the high winds and floods.
With many areas under water, food supplies will be required as will clean water.
`We know that many people have been badly hurt, are without homes, food, clothes or medicine and are badly traumatised by the level of destruction that the cyclone unleashed,’ said Sudarshan Sathianathan, Tearfund’s Head of Asia Region.
However the work will not be easy as telephone communications have been badly affected and, even in normal times, Myanmar is a difficult country to travel around as fuel is rationed.
Prayer points
- Please pray for the people of Myanmar in their hour of darkness. Pray for God’s comfort for those who are mourning, that he will provide shelter for those who are homeless and food for those who are hungry.
- Pray for Tearfund’s partners in Myanmar and that they are able to assess the scale of need and what they can do to help.
- Pray also that the UN agencies and NGOs provide an effective and coordinated response.
- Pray that the government of Myanmar throws off its normal suspicion of foreign agencies and allows humanitarian assistance to come into the country.
- Pray for the church and that it can provide a healing touch and Christian witness at this time.