May 7, 2008
Catholic Relief Services
Emergency Brief #1: Myanmar/Cyclone Nargis
Situation:
Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (Burma) on Saturday, May 3, bringing a deadly tidal surge across the low-lying coastal areas of the country. The storm hit the Irrawaddy Delta region, an area populated by 24 million people. Nargis toppled infrastructure in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon (Rangoon), and destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Communications lines were down in the first few days, but more news is coming from the region on the magnitude of the cyclone’s destruction.
“Cyclone Nargis could not have happened in a worse stretch of land. The surge hit in the low lying coastal areas. With the tidal surge at 12 to 15 feet, presumably thousands of people living along the Delta were simply washed away,” says Pat Johns, director, CRS emergency response team.
Latest reports estimate more than 60,000 people dead or missing, and another 1 million homeless. Sadly these numbers are expected to rise. The Government of Myanmar has formally appealed to the United Nations for assistance.
CRS Response:
CRS is supporting the emergency relief and response efforts of the Caritas Internationalis network in the worst affected areas. Assessments on the level of devastation are still underway as communications remain difficult and news trickles out of the country.
Significant support is critical to ensure life-saving assistance reaches the most vulnerable people quickly. It is anticipated that food, shelter and water will be of urgent need. The Caritas network will coordinate with local and international agencies to determine how best to provide help where it is most needed.
CRS in the News
5/6/08 Catholic News Service “Pope Expresses Deep Sadness over Cyclone’s Destruction in Myanmar”
Elizabeth Griffin quoted http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802489.htm
5/6/08 Baltimore Sun “Burmese in Md. Fear for Their Families”
Elizabeth Griffin quoted
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.aid06may06,0,5640663.story
5/7/08 New York Times “A Challenge Getting Relief to Myanmar’s Remote Areas”
CRS in “How to Help” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/world/asia/07aid.html?hp
How to Help:
Donate via phone: 1-877-HELP-CRS
Donate online: www.crs.org
Write a check: Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090
Memo line: Southeast Asia Natural Disaster
Background:
CRS has supported long-term development programs and emergency relief efforts, including in response to cyclones and severe natural disasters, in the Southeast Asia and Pacific region for more than 60 years.
The agency’s response to the December 2004 Asian tsunami made for the largest in its history—a $195 million, five-year recovery effort supporting 600,000 people. Its massive rehabilitation effort in the most devastated areas of Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka reflected its efforts in response to disasters in many parts of the globe: a holistic recovery that integrates many of life’s greatest needs—shelter, clean water, food, livelihood, education and infrastructure—for building a full, dignified quality of life.
Year-round the CRS Southeast Asia and Pacific regional staff, based in Jakarta, Indonesia, responds to cyclones, typhoons, earthquakes and other natural disasters that are especially prone in the area, and where the Ring of Fire has earned its name. CRS staff across the region has vast expertise in responding quickly, with integrity and skill, and with sensitivities and insights for working across diverse cultural and security contexts.
Information for Church Bulletins:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is supporting the relief efforts of Caritas Internationalis in Myanmar in response to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis. CRS is the official humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church. To donate, please call 1-877-HELP-CRS (1-877-425-7277), donate online at www.crs.org, or send a check to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD, 21203-7090. Memo line: Southeast Asia Natural Disaster.
More about CRS in Asia and Across the World:
http://www.crs.org
