Field Reports
Subject: News Release on Cyclone Relief Effort as of 3rd July 2008
In the wake of Cyclone Nargis, the Myanmar Tourism Cyclone Relief Team had been initiating its relief effort for the Cyclone Nargis Victims by sending aid directly to those who are desperately in need at Phya Pone District and nearby Townships at lower Ayeyarwady Delta.
As of June 2008, the Myanmar Tourism Cyclone Relief Team had been able to reach out to 5,000 families reside at 70 villages with aid items worth US$ 80,000 approximately both in cash and in kind. The Myanmar Tourism Cyclone Relief Team is now involving in rehabilitation processes as the 2nd phase of ongoing relief effort, especially in the educational field by rebuilding and repairing schools in the Phya Pone District, Ayeyarwady Division.
The estimated budget for a school which could accommodate 100 -120 students is approximately US$ 2,000 ~ 2,500 including basic structure (i.e. 30' X 60' X 13' hall types building with corrugated zinc sheet roofing, bamboo walls with timber poles); facilities (i.e. gutters, tables, 5 blackboards, benches, chairs, hygienic drinking water and toilets facilities); stationeries; and uniforms.
As of today, the project for the below listed elementary schools from Grade 1 to 5 is progressing very well and soon those will be ready to reopen for 2008/9 academic year.
- Ka Zaung Village
- Ka Dah Village
- Kayin Tha Bye Kan Village
- Ko Eine Dan Village
- Kyon Dah Village
- Kyon Thut Ta Nyi Village
- Kyaik Hpo Village
- Gwa Gyi Village
- Sa Byu Zu Village
- Nyaung Ta Bin Village
- Nyaung Taw Gyi Village
- Pa Thi Village
- Shitt Pe Village
- Thon Dat Village
- A Zoke Ka Lay Village
RE: Delta Fund
On Sat, Jun 7, 2008 at 6:57
Is it possible if we can spend about Ks.25 lakhs ($2500CAN) for next trip? Please we want to give more. Not enough food to give.
Last trip, we delivered Rice 20 bags. And added 20 more bags of rice once we realized how much needed. Then we had enough to deliver to 4 villages.
The neediest things are;
FOOD: Rice, Water, Salt and Oil.
Even for meat/protein, they can make fishing as their custom!
Our estimation for about 400 families/I hope at least 800 peoples will be able to eat the rice for 5 days!
1. Rice -50 bags -~Ks.950000.00 ($864CAN)
50 bags of rice @24cups = 1200cups
~ So 3 cups per family to 400 families can be delivered
2. Water -400 bottles -~Ks.120000.00 ($109CAN)
3. Oil 1/4 viss bottles -1200Ks@400 = Ks.480000.00 ($436CAN)
4. Salt packs - local Iodinized salt packs
~450@400 = Ks.180000.00 ($163CAN)
5. Candles (8pcs-packs@400@Ks.450) =Ks.180000.00 ($163CAN)
6. Canned Fish-370Ks.@800 = Ks.296000.00 ($269CAN)
We will buy the rice and water at in the nearest town to our destination and others necessities in Yangon.
Estimated travel expenses ~Ks.350000 ($318can)
We estimated the minimum TOTAL to be = Ks. 2,376,000 ($2160CAN)
We should add more, we can add some clothes to donate...
Best Regards
Email sent by paid volunteer staff of a small Myanmar business
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 3:28 PM
In brief we (efforts of a private individual) aim to organize 1 to 2 trip per week spending approx USD $2500 per trip, of which approx USD $250 - $300 is spent on transport, packing, accommodation and daily allowance for our staff. Transport of course is the single largest factor
Township |
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Village Group |
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Numbers of |
64 |
Numbers of |
221 |
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Delivery Details |
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Sr. |
Material Delivered; |
Qty. |
Unit |
Remark |
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1 |
Rice |
91 |
cups |
1 Bag contains 24 cups(24 pyi).(1 bag is abt 200 lbs.) |
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2 |
Oil |
64 |
btls |
1btl is 0.25 viss. |
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3 |
Water Bottles |
64 |
btls |
1 Lit.Bottles |
|||
4 |
Soaps |
93 |
pcs |
|
|||
5 |
Canned Meat - fish |
64 |
cans |
|
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6 |
Candles |
64 |
bags |
1bag contains 8 candles. |
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7 |
Salt Pack |
82 |
bags |
|
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8 |
Dried Noodles Pack |
64 |
bags |
|
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9 |
Vermicelli Noodle Pack |
64 |
bags |
|
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10 |
Ngapi |
64 |
packs |
|
|||
18 |
Longyis(F/Ks. ) |
58 |
Nos. |
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June 4th update
The combined efforts of Metta Development Foundation, AZG, Save the Children Myanmar and MFH & Medical Relief Society Hospital...
AZG (Medicine Sans Frontieres – Holland), in fortunate position, because could divert national staff from the large existing programmes in Myanmar (over 1,000 staff) and could use the large medical reserves they had in country. In the early weeks have reached 200,000 people, have moved 200+ staff into the fields along with 9 international aid workers. In the first week 40 trucks were sent with goods to Delta, 10 boats are distributing goods and staff further south. Two cargo planes flew into Yangon airport with medical supply, mosquito nets, and water and sanitation equipment, including water treatment kits that produce 10,000 liters of drinking water per hour, 30,000 liters water bladders and other materials. 2 more planes followed. AZG has planned 8 million USD for the activities in the initial 3 months
Save the Children Myanmar has reached 208,953 people. Children make up some 40% of the deaths of this crisis, and nearly half of the survivors. Of particularly concern are reports of lower respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea in children and the high risk from malaria and dengue fever. Water and sanitation programming, as well as health and hygiene, will be vital to save lives. Save the Children Myanmar is currently operating a floating clinic with Mercy Malaysia in the delta area.
Metta Development Foundation has been present in the heavily hit area since the aftermath of the tsunami, and this enabled Metta to mount a quick response distributing rice to 27 of the 48 relief camps in Laputta Township, feeding 10,000 of the 26,000 people in the camps and supporting them with the blankets, sarongs, towel, soap, drinking water, foot wears, toothpaste and toothbrush. Metta provides one bag of rice, beans, oil and salt to these households. For the initial relief of the first two weeks, Metta has reached out to 114,773 persons, most whom are women, children and minors. In the next six to eight weeks, Metta plans to constrain its target population to 74,000 persons based on the drafted budget. Metta is also committed to building and restoring the basic infrastructures such as roads and bridges which are part of the critical needs on the ground.
Reading the incoming reports,
they all say the same ...the situation is mixed from day to day. The most urgent need remains water, food, and medicines for water –borne diseases. Bags of rice, water, water tablets, mosquito nets, soap, footwear being distributed. Also plastic sheeting for shelter and protection, kitchen equipment and re-hydration salts to families whose homes have been destroyed
The most important requirement of the teams going down into the Delta is foodstuffs such as high protein, high vitamin biscuits, dried-rice based foods, dried lintels, beans, fruit, and soy powder.
Medical doctors from UNICEF, MFH and AZG agree the really urgent antibiotics needed in Burma right now are:
Amoxicillin – adult dosage and syrup for children
Tetrecycline incase cholera breaks out
Doxycycline for cholera and upper respiratory tract infections
Co-trimoxazole for respiratory tract infection in children
Ciprofloxacin for treating GI infection, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and soft tissue sand skin infections.
For Skin Cream:
Anti fungal skin cream
Scabies treatment- malathion shampoo, permethrin cream
There have been improvements in access over the past few weeks and people are being reached, but more assistance is needed to respond to the scale of need and prevent a higher death toll.
Your donations are supporting the above NGOs ...........Purchases of purchase emergency supplies of medicines, water tablets, clothing, footwear, powdered milk for babies, rice, beans, mosquito nets, oil, salt, rehydration salts for children...So much still to do!
Thank you for your on–going support and generosity,
Nina
Update Report: May 30 field trip
Prepared by: Volunteer Staff from private company, Balloons Over Bagan
Our trip is the first visit for them (villagers) to get donations from people. But Pwyal Tan villages had received the donations before because that village is located beside the river so it is easy to go there, not so for the rest of the 3 villages...The other three we visited are difficult to due to the narrow stream and when tide is low it is not possible to even go to those villages (Aung Hlaing village, Nyi Naung Gyi and Nyi Naung Lay village).
Current their situation is, next day of after storm (storm was on 2-5-08) most of villagers moved to Mawlamyaingkyun (MLMG town) to get food and stay. They stayed to the Monastery, hoped and waited for food and clothes to come. But I think Sayataw (presiding monk) and the people from Mawlamyaingkyun just couldn’t provide enough foods. So some people went to a teashop, got food and then didn't pay the cost so run away.
Later (after 2 or 3 days), army arrived at Mawlamyaingkyun and they handled this situation as they drove out the villagers to their home. Most of villagers cried and they requested let them stay at Mawlamyaingkyun or arrange something to better than go back to villages because there is only land and nothing left. Finally they had to go back their village and they living all together and eat together. When we arrived in those villages I saw ¾ of village had tarps which are donated from international aid only because the leader of the villager went to Mawlamyaingkyun asking for help. The leader explained their situation. So tarps and 2 cups (like big coffee cups) of rice was brought for over 100 people. They had to give back the tarps after they rebuild their home themselves.
A villager from Aung Hlaing village said around 200 people dead from their villages and he is the only one person from their 8 family members. It was midnight when the storm came and no power / all were shouting / and only heard the sound of wind / tide is rise up 20 feet / (we saw clothes left on the top of the coconut trees).
Now they are starting to rebuild their house and fish is only food for them before we arrived. I think our donation is enough for 4 to 5 days and we informed other people who came to donate about those villages needs.
For next trip, there is another villages which didn't get donations as of yet. Those villages, located between Mawlamyaingkyun and Latputter which is under Latputter administration. It is one night trip to go there from Mawlamyaingkyun but I think we need to discuss with some people from Mawlamyaingkyun who introduced by area leader. I think we should check the situation of that village before we donate to the village again from last trip.
Bogalay, the villages of around Bogalay is worst then Mawlamyaingkyun. But many people pay attention to Bogalay to donate and they had received the donors before. And Bogalay commitee handles donations well for Bogalay’s villages.
But I would like to suggest to you that we are not enough. Only 2 people and I think we need 5/6 people for next trip because:
1) Have to pack the things on the boat (rice and others)
2) When we arrive at the villages, have to take care of the goods and watch the people who can double get the donations.
3) Make a stock list and other information to collect.
4) And next trip we should donate for 400 people if possible as nobody knows how many people are living on those villages. Even wards administration still trying to make record.
Kind regards,
29th May
Yangon,Myanmar
Dear Friends,
RE: Balloons over Bagan/ Malikha Lodge (BOB/ML) Cyclone Relief donations
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and provide a short update. Thanks to all for your generosity together with Friends of the Rainforest Myanmar (FORM) we have raised over USD $20,000 so far. From this amount Balloons over Bagan and Malikha Lodge has spent approx USD 2500 in local currency in purchasing supplies and arranging their safe passage down to the delta area. Our efforts and your donations have been divided as follows:
1) Two of our managers with specific skills have been provided on a full time basis for the next 3 months to Save the Children UK. Our financial controller from Putao is assisting with stock and inventory at the company warehouse in Yangon for international aid arriving by air. Our Operations Manager and crew chief from Bagan has received specialist training to lead and crew a specially imported relief supply boat to more remote areas. This boat will operate from one of the famous Pandaw boats which has been generously given over to the relief effort as a floating hospital come forward logistics hub.
2) This morning two of our logistics staff departed Yangon by boat on a multi day trip to Moulmeingyun. Our relatives on the ground will personally take delivery of more than USD $1000 worth of water, rice, canned foods, medicines, soaps and clothing for up to 200 people. Moulmeingyun itself was not too badly affected, but the surrounding villages were hit very hard, and together with some of the village leaders we hope to arrange for them to collect our relief supplies on a weekly basis to take back to their villages.
3) A donation of USD $900 purchased bags of rice and tarpaulin used for shelter with the Bogalay Peoples Committee. The photos here were taken by our two Yangon based logistics staff to document donated relief supplies in Bogalay and Moulmeingyun.
Early next week we will be in a better position to evaluate our efforts once our boys return from the field. If successful, we can commence weekly deliveries using our own in house staff and increase the amount of aid needed in these areas, as well as ascertain more accurately what is required over the next few months. To this effect we will put out a further update with photos by the end of next week.
Finally it is very heart warming to see that so many of you, who have visited Myanmar over the past few years maintain such a strong connection to the country and its people, and as leading members of the tourism industry, we believe this highlights the positive role tourism can and should play in Myanmar.
Yours sincerely,
Brett and Omar Melzer