Myanmar : Your Concerns Addressed

In light of the current controversy over the difficulty of aid entering Myanmar we thought we should address a few of your concerns...

I have donated to Islamic Relief’s Myanmar Cyclone Appeal, where will my money go if Islamic Relief cannot enter the country?

First of all rest assured that your money will be used to help the people of Myanmar.

Aid is starting to get through. The Burmese government is gradually beginning to grant visas to relief agencies and the likelihood is that Islamic Relief will be allowed in.

If this is not the case then we will channel any money raised through partner agencies who have gained entry. Islamic Relief is a member of the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) and this and other relationships are established with just this kind of situation in mind. Any money raised is distributed by those most able to do so depending on the individual circumstances of the disaster.

I was thinking of donating to the appeal, but if aid can’t get in then I don’t see the point?

Thousands of people are without food, water and shelter. Without your help they will die. Please don’t let confusion and bureaucracy deprive the people of Myanmar of the help they so desperately need.

Check http://www.irm.org.my or call us at 03-89486334 on how to donate.

Islamic Relief's actions

Islamic Relief has launched a worldwide appeal for £3 million to assist Nargis Cyclone's victims. IR headquarter-based emergency response team is still on stand-by to enter Myanmar pending the issuance of visas.

Applications for visas are also being made by Islamic Relief local staff from Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia as nationals from neighbouring countries or those in close proximity of Myanmar are more successful in gaining entry.

£3 Million Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Appeal

Current Humanitarian Situation

About 30,000 people are missing in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) after this weekend's devastating cyclone, in addition to a death toll of 15,000 (and rising). This cyclone, Cyclone Nargis, is the worst to hit Asia in more than 25 years.

Burmese state television said five regions with a combined population of 24 million people had been declared disaster zones. Survivors in the worst-hit region, the densely populated Irrawaddy Delta, face a growing risk of disease and possibly hunger. In some villages, 90 percent of shelter was destroyed or damaged. (This a country that hasn’t had a full census since 1937.)

Work is still under way to assess the scale of the devastation caused by the cyclone, which brought winds reaching 190km/h (120mph).

Needs

The biggest needs are shelter and drinking water. Prices of food, fuel and basic necessities have also risen dramatically in the wake of the storm, putting more people at risk. Water-borne diseases may also be an issue in the coming days and weeks.

Specific needs will include: plastic sheeting, tents, water purification tablets, water filters, hygiene kits, medicines, mosquito nets and food.

Challenges

The government indicated willingness to accept international assistance through the U.N. agencies. But there were doubts about exactly how open the Burmese government is to foreign assistance. Diplomats asked ministers whether visas would be available to relief workers and whether duty would be waived on relief supplies. The ministers could give no such commitment.

So far, most foreigners and all foreign journalists have been barred from entering the country. Aid workers are facing a battle to help hundreds of thousands of Burmese. Western diplomats told The Daily Telegraph that the government had failed to make it possible for United Nations agencies to move swiftly to bring relief to thousands left without drinking water and shelter.

The area worst affected by the cyclone that struck on Saturday is a vast, highly populated delta crisscrossed by canals and inlets, qualities that are likely to make the damage extensive and delivering aid extraordinarily difficult. Before the cyclone hit, dikes had collapsed, irrigation systems had failed and bridges were sometimes impassable.

Islamic Relief Action

An IR emergency response team is being prepared to fly out to Myanmar at the earliest opportunity. Contact is being made with potential partners on the ground and we need £3 million to cover: plastic sheeting, tents, water purification tablets, water filters, hygiene kits, medicines, mosquito nets and food. Help us to help the people of Myanmar.

Download MyanmarNargis.pdf

To respond to this appeal, Islamic Relief team is currently running a series of fund raising activities. It would also be great if you could contribute by helping us spread the words, you will definitely make a lot of changes to the lives of the Burmese.

One of the ways that you could contribute to this appeal is by handing out flyers to your fellow colleagues, neighbors , family and etc...You can do that by downloading the above image and print it out. Click here to download PDF format