Every day, teams of Myanmar Red Cross volunteers are traveling out to some of the remote parts of the Irrawaddy delta, providing support for those affected and carrying out vital assessments of damage and needs.
One experienced volunteer returned from a five day assessment and spoke to Masanao Mori, a delegate with the Japanese Red Cross who is working as part of the International Federation’s team in Yangon.
“There are many villages in Bogale which we are still trying to reach,” he said. “I was able to reach about 20 villages by boat. In one village we visited, there were over 15,000 people before the cyclone, but now only about 2,600 are left.”
“According to the survivors, the storm surge took people up to seven miles away from the village. It was astonishing.”
The needs
“It was very clear that clean water, food and shelter remain a priority for the people. I am worried about the children and vulnerable people,” he continued. “Where there are no health centers or doctors, I saw Red Cross volunteers working so hard. They are providing first aid service but they are also getting tired.”
The Myanmar Red Cross, with the assistance of the International Federation, is currently working on sending even more volunteers to region. They will be deployed from the northern part of the country to distribute relief items and to provide first aid services.
The volunteer concluded his report by adding:
“There are many more villages that I could not reach yet. I am ready to go back to Bogale and to work with the local authorities to make more assessments and do anything that is needed there. Many people are relying on us”
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Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed in the storm. “In one village we visited, there were over 15,000 people before the cyclone, but now only about 2,600 are left,” reported on Red Cross volunteer. (p17661)
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A team of Red Cross volunteers in Bogale, one of the worst affected parts of the Irrawaddy delta. Myanmar Red Cross volunteers have been working tirelessly since Cyclone Nargis made landfall on 2 May, distributing relief items, providing first aid and carrying out vital assessments. (p17660)
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Red Cross volunteers distribute food in a communal shelter in Bogale. Many of the volunteers were themselves affected by the storm, but they remain steadfast in their commitment to the Red Cross and to their communities. (p17659)
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