Burma - What is the current situation?
15 May 2008
Headlines
- The Secretary of State for International Development Douglas
Alexander today announced an extra £12 million to finance the UK's
humanitarian response, bringing the UK’s overall support to £17 million
so far.
- UK’s second and third aid flights are due to arrive in Rangoon
tomorrow (Friday), carrying equipment including plastic sheeting to
provide emergency shelter for 43,000 people and 14 flat-bottomed boats.
- Aid flights/shipping into Rangoon is increasing, but still
insufficient to meet the need.
- Reports suggest that temporary settlements may now be sheltering
more than 550,000 people in Irrawaddy and Rangoon Divisions.
- Health concerns are rising and DFID field team is reporting an
increasing number of people with diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory
infections and trauma.
- HMS Westminster is stationed 12 miles off the Burmese coast and will
remain there as part of the UK’s humanitarian contingency plans.
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DFID's response to date
DFID has now
pledged up to
£17 million for the relief effort.
 Aid
flights: Several UK aid flights are scheduled to fly to Rangoon airport over
the next few days. Two more UK flights containing emergency shelter, 13,000
jerrycans, and flat-bottomed boats are due to arrive in Rangoon tomorrow.
Further flights will follow. Departure times and dates are subject to landing
clearance and may change.
Funding: The UK Government has announced an extra £12 million today to
fund the immediate emergency humanitarian response. Allocations to
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) announced today are as follows:
-
Over £1.1 million for Save the Children to help 125,000 people by providing
clean water supplies, food and non-food items in the townships of Napudaw,
Myaungmya, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat and Pyapon, in the Irrawaddy Delta.
-
Up to £1 million for Action Against Hunger to help 37,500 people by
providing clean, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, access to food and
non-food items in Bogale Township, Irrawaddy Division.
-
£700,000 for Care to help 60,000 people by providing food, clean water and
sanitation and emergency shelter in the townships of Pathein, East Dagon and
Thaketa, near Rangoon.
-
£500,000 for Medecins Sans Frontieres to help 100,000 people by providing
basic medical care, clean water and sanitation and emergency shelter.
-
Over £700,000 for Merlin to help 50,000 people by providing emergency
healthcare in the Laputta township, in the Irrawaddy Delta.
-
Over £450,000 to the British Red Cross to support logistical operations.
Field visit: The Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy took part
on an official visit to affected communities in the Rangoon area today,
organized by the Burmese authorities.
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Responding to the disaster
 In
addition to the above flights, DFID is aware of a total of 12 flights due to
arrive today including six from the International Federation of the Red Cross
and two US C130 flights to go directly into Pathein in the Irrawaddy Delta
today.
Rangoon port now reopened to shipping. Save the Children and Mercy Malaysia’s
“floating clinic” is expected in Rangoon on 18 May .
The World Food Programme has dispatched more than 700 metric tones of rice, high
energy biscuits and beans to affected areas – enough food to feed almost 100,000
people for approximately 10 days.
Reports are coming in that people in temporary settlements in Rangoon and
Irrawaddy Divisions are receiving vaccinations against measles and vitamin A
supplements
The World Health Organisation is reporting that the Norwegian government has
agreed to donate water purification equipment which would establish a supply of
clean water for use in four hospitals and 20 health centres in the affected
areas.
The Norwegian Government has also agreed to provide 20 emergency health kits,
which will provide basic healthcare for 600,000 people for a month.
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What happened?
- Category 3 Cyclone Nargis made landfall on 2 May in the Irrawaddy delta region.
- Unofficial estimates suggest the number of dead or missing is in the region
of 217,000.
- State media is reporting 34,273 dead, 1,403 injured and 27,836 missing.
- UN Flash Appeal - money committed currently stands at $74 million.
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