Nargis May-Aug08 Report Final

Report: Cyclone Nargis Emergency & Recovery Response (Yangon, Myanmar) Period – May 15-August 31,2008

MYANMAR REHABILITATION INITIATIVE (MRI)Yangon, Myanmar

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Table of Contents

Introduction..........................................................................................................................3PROGRAMME SUMMARY..............................................................................................41. CONTEXT.......................................................................................................................4

1.1 Involvement of MRI....................................................................................................6

2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION............................................................................................6

2.1 Programme Strategy:...................................................................................................62.2 Programme Activities..................................................................................................71. Rescue Phase..............................................................................................................72. Shelter – Repair and Rebuilding ...............................................................................93. Back-To-School Support.........................................................................................104. Livelihood Support – Mid-Term and Long-Term Recovery...................................112.3 Difficulties.................................................................................................................12

3. FINANCIAL REPORT.................................................................................................13

3.1 Income & Expenditure Report...................................................................................133.2 Budget Explanation....................................................................................................143.3 Comment on Year to date Financial Performance.....................................................13

4. APPENDIX.....................................................................................................................16

4.1 Total Beneficiary Data...............................................................................................164.2 Map of Myanmar – MRI Areas of Work..................................................................17

Distribution:

Funding PartnersJesuit Refugee ServiceSociety of Jesus (Jesuits)

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Introduction

The world watched with anguish when a cyclonic storm, named NARGIS, battered thepeople of Myanmar with a venomous ferocity on the May 2

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night. Millions becamerefugees. Nearly 150,000 died in nature’s naked fury, stripping the people in Yangon andAyeryarwaddy delta of their assets. The world has felt the pain of the people of Myanmarfor too long and admired their fortitude.But when nature chose to collude with other forces and compounded the agony, theresponse of the world was swift. Prompt aid pledges and promises of direct involvementwere marred by access issues and permission for specialised person’s entry into thecountry. Myanmar had not seen a disaster of this magnitude for nearly a century. Initialresponse was disappointing. World attention and pressure grew amidst this gloomyscenario.The Chinese Earthquake followed. The prompt and poignant response of the Chineseauthorities seemed to be a trigger. Greater attention to the survivors and permission to thelimited number of international experts brought in greater solace. Conditions improved.UN and other INGOs had ‘guided’ access to the field. Aid could reach many. A joint needsassessment PONJA has proved to be a road map to the Aid Community.Yet after four months, glaring gaps exist in almost every field. Shelter and livelihood arestill a major concern. Farming is hampered by erratic seed behaviour in salinated fields andlack of scientific analysis. The retrospective effect might be felt in the future. Food pricehas been slowly increasing. Shelter response remains pathetic. Land ownership iscontentious. No agency could go for a long term, disaster-resistant houses.The school scenario is mixed. Schools started on time, most of the children are back toschool; yet many schools are in dire need of repair and educational materials are in shortsupply. The trauma continues to be intense in the areas where dead bodies remained.What surprised the locals and the international community was the silent resilience of thepeople of Myanmar. For the first week of the disaster, outsiders could not enter many areasbecause of the suffocating debris and dangerous toxins. It was the local people andcommunities that first started helping each other. Rescue efforts were done by people topeople. Religious places, churches and Pagodas provided safety, security and initialpsycho-social support. This silent and attention-less response saved hundreds of lives.Full scale rehabilitation is a long journey. Humanitarian work still remains a hugechallenge. In anguish and fury, cyclone NARGIS, uncovered the daily disasters of a longsuffering people. They await an integrated and concretely coordinated response from thewider human family.Myanmar cannot be forgotten once again.