An officer from Myanmar Red Cross headquarters in Yangon, has just returned from a five day assessment mission to Mawlamyinegyun , one of the areas worst affected by Cyclone Nargis.
“In the center of the Mawlamyinegyun town, there is not much damage” he said. ”But the southern part of township near the sea suffered severely. In some of the villages, everyone was taken away by the surge, not a single person was left. It is even difficult to find a single pole from any of the houses that once stood there.”
Some relief items, such as rice, jerry cans and drinking water have been distributed by the Red Cross and local authorities.
Red Cross volunteers have been working hard in this township as in many other places that were affected. “Currently, more than 150 Red Cross volunteers are active in Mawlamyinegyun. They are divided into groups and are dispatched to villages by boat.”
“I was so impressed by their courage. These volunteers are wearing a uniform with the Red Cross emblem. I can see that they are proud to wear it, but they do not have any spare ones. In the delta areas, it rains almost everyday. Of course, they get wet.
“We need to protect their health and well being so we are working to send raincoats as well as new Red Cross aprons for them.”
He adds, “I received an urgent request from our volunteers. Of course, the provision of clean water and food are priorities, but they also need more boats to carry these items to reach the people in need. So we are looking into providing support for the local hire of boats or the provision of a Red Cross boat. Just this morning a ‘well wisher’ donated three fiberglass boats to the Myanmar Red Cross in Yangon and the International Federation has offered to provide outboard motors for them.”
Already, less than three weeks since the storm hit the delta and as emergency needs remain acute, some people are beginning to look towards the future.
“(Some) farmers are now preparing to cultivate their field and grow food. They are borrowing seeds from neighboring villages which were less affected.”
He paused for a while, and then concluded, “I heard many sad stories, but some encouraging stories as well. People are trying to come back to their own life, and the Red Cross volunteers have provided a light of hope that glows in the darkness.”
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A Red Cross volunteer talks to members of a community in Mawlamyinegyun, one of the parts of Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta that was worst affected by Cyclone Nargis. International Federation. (p17679)
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