Three months on from the disaster, Christian Aid is appealing for more funds to help survivors of the Burma cyclone so partner organisations can continue to carry out vital relief and rehabilitation work.
Around 2.5 million people in the Irrawaddy delta region continue to be affected by the disaster. Partners have been distributing food, water purification tablets, clothing, blankets, cooking utensils and medicines to more than 200,000 people.
Christian Aid is helping communities rebuild their homes and livelihoods. Food prices have risen rapidly since the cyclone hit, putting more strain on people who were already struggling to cope. The cost of thatch for roofing has gone up by 600% and the cost of potatoes has risen by 85%.
Funds still needed
Christian Aid launched a £2 million appeal to help those affected by the cyclone which killed an estimated 130,000 people. The appeal has raised £1.8 million so far.
More money is needed so that our partners can continue their work. ‘We want to thank everyone who has already given money to the Christian Aid Burma cyclone appeal,’ says the head of Christian Aid’s Asia division, Robin Greenwood. ‘We are still asking for people’s support because there is a need for more funds for our partners to continue to do their vital relief and rehabilitation work.’
Rebuilding lives
One partner has received training in cyclone resistant housing design to help families build stronger permanent homes in the coming months. Two engineers from the partner visited India to meet with CASA – also a Christian Aid partner - to gain expertise in building cyclone shelters.
Partners are also working on rebuilding houses and schools. They are providing trauma counselling for thousands of people. Cash for work schemes are being set up and cyclone survivors are able to earn around $2 per day helping to clean ponds, fields and clear land.
Christian Aid is funding eight local partners to carry on helping thousands of people in seven of the worst-hit districts.
Many survivors are back in their villages where there is little shelter, food or clean water. Some remote villages remain very difficult to reach and our partners are still receiving requests for help from inaccessible villages.
Our partners are distributing cooking kits, tarpaulin for temporary shelters, and providing seeds and other agricultural materials so that rice can be planted before the current planting season ends.
The last few weeks have seen very heavy rains with the start of the monsoon season.
To provide safe drinking water, partners are constructing simple rainwater harvesting containers from bamboo frames and plastic lining which hold up to 1,000 litres of water.
Water purification tablets ensure the water is safe to drink. Each tank filled with purified water or rainwater can provide enough drinking water for 450 people each day.
Please donate to our Burma appeal
Conditions are extremely challenging, but Christian Aid partners are still working hard to meet both the short term and long term needs of thousands of survivors. They urgently need more funds.
Your continued support is vital.
What your donation can do
• £10 could provide a cooking set for a family
• £100 could help pay towards tarpaulin and tools to build temporary shelters.
Please give generously.