Christian Aid's local partners are on the ground responding to the needs of survivors. They are distributing water purification tablets, blankets, plastic sheeting and medicines to 200,000 people in the worst-hit areas.
Around 2 million people are believed to be at risk of hunger and disease due the Burma regime limiting humanitarian access to the region. As Christian Aid works through local partner networks in Burma, it has been able to deliver aid to affected communities.
Please donate what you can to our Burma appeal
With your help we hope to raise £2 million for our work in Burma.
We are also part of the wider, DEC coalition of charities that has launched an appeal to raise funds. You can donate online or call 08080 004004 to make a telephone donation.
Video: Our Burma expert Ray Hasan explains what survivors urgently need, how Christian Aid’s partners are already responding – and how you can help:
Responding to disaster
One of Christian Aid’s local partners - which wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons - is distributing rice, oil, salt, clothing, mats, baby blankets, mosquito nets, medicines and rehydration solutions to 68,000 people in 58 temporary relief camps across the Irrawaddy delta.
It is also handing out radios to community leaders in some of the most vulnerable areas in order to improve early warning communications ahead of the forecast torrential rains.
Food provisions and safe shelter are also being established for 12,000 of the most vulnerable families.
Supplies needed urgently
Christian Aid’s Burmese partners have been able to respond in the immediate aftermath, using the supplies already available to them.
However, the scale of this disaster means that the response needs to be on a vast scale which can only happen if the Burmese regime allows international aid agencies into the country.
‘Supplies will run out unless more aid is allowed into the country,’ says Ray Hasan, Christian Aid’s Burma expert.
‘Our partners are saying that there are outbreaks of disease already. There is no time to lose.’
Please give what you can to our Burma appeal
Christian Aid partners urgently need more supplies of water purification tablets, medicines including salt solutions, mosquito nets, blankets and clothing and materials to rebuild homes.
They report that people are asking for rice seeds, as their supplies have been damaged. Unless people plant the seeds in the next month, they will have no supplies of rice until May 2009.
In the longer term there will be the need to rebuild houses, create early warning systems and improve infrastructure that can withstand cyclones.
What your donation can do
• £4 could provide water purification tablets for 10 people for one day (3 litres per person)
• £10 could provide a relief kit for a family that would include some food, water purification tablets and medicine
• £20 could help provide two relief packages containing water purification tablets, medicines and food
• £40 could pay for an early-warning system such as loudspeakers and flags for a community
• £100 could help pay towards materials for temporary shelters.
Please give generously.