“Our new house protects us during heavy rains and even the baby sleeps soundly”, says Ko Kyaw Win Naing. He heads one of the 15,000 families in the Ayeyarwady Delta, included in the Myanmar Red Cross/IFRC shelter programme which is providing new houses to people who lost everything during Cyclone Nargis in early May 2008.

Almost two years after Nargis, the delta is gradually recovering. Major challenges remain and survivors are still struggling, but thousands of families have received new homes villages have been restored and water supplies have been improved.

Farmers have received fertilizer and tools and fishermen have new boats. Schools and health centres are being constructed and numerous training sessions on health and disaster preparedness have been conducted.

The recovery operation is well underway and some of the new innovative approaches used can now serve as examples for other operations, not least because of the involvement of affected communities.