A Red Cross Red Crescent relief pipeline into Myanmar has been established, with 10 flights having reached Yangon since Wednesday (7 May). This includes six flights carrying 35 tonnes of supplies from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies logistic hub in Kuala Lumpur.
These flights only represent the very beginning of what will be a massive logistical operation says Igor Dmitryuk, Head of the International Federation’s logistics unit in Kuala Lumpur.
“This is only the start and we are working around the clock to identify every possible avenue into the country,” he said. “But we can begin to feel a rhythm.”
In addition, Dmitryuk’s team has secured at least two flights to Yangon each day this week. By Friday (16 May) the International Federation will have sent 17 flights, carrying a total of 130 tonnes of aid including: 20,000 mosquito nets, 2,450 tarpaulins and almost 15,000 jerry cans as well as emergency shelter supplies for 4,500 people and hygiene items for more than 600 people.
“We are using both cargo space in commercial flights and chartered aircraft to get supplies in,” said John Sparrow, spokesman for the operation in Bangkok. “Three charters have been confirmed for this week - each of which will carry 18 tonnes – and five more are being confirmed.”
Flights are the most viable way to get aid into the devastated country as Yangon’s main port has been essentially closed since two cranes collapsed at its entrance. However, the International Federation is continuing to explore other avenues for aid to compliment what is going in by air, including difficult overland routes.
A five-day haul from Bangkok to the Irrawaddy delta is fraught with security problems, and looting is a danger once the Thai border has been crossed. Trucking down from Bangladesh where the Red Cross and Red Crescent has supplies available is problematic because of road conditions.
“We asked some trucking companies and they threw up their hands,” Dmitryuk said, discussing preliminary discussions held with overland freight companies in the region. “They told us no one had ever tried it. They didn’t even know if it was possible. They said in places the roads were more like donkey tracks.”
For more information on the Red Cross Red Crescent operation visit www.ifrc.org/myanmar