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Myanmar Cyclone: MSF teams bring immediate assistance, while additional staff and relief materials are ready to be sentImmediately after the cyclone hit several regions in Myanmar, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in the country, began assessing and responding to the needs of the population in Yangon and the neighbouring areas. Our first assessments show that in the Daala and Twantey zones, South of Yangon, home to 300,000 inhabitants, 80% of buildings have been destroyed and some parts of the region are still flooded under one metre of water. MSF teams who are able to circulate freely have distributed food and plastic sheeting and have begun treating water in Yangon. In the outskirts of Yangon MSF organised the distribution of plastic sheeting, jerry cans and fuel for water pumps to some 5,000 people. Yesterday teams were also able to distribute one week worth of food rations, composed of rice, dried beans, and oil, to 1,000 people in the Twantey area. In addition MSF is also planning a mosquito net distribution in the coming days as malaria and dengue fever are prevalent, even endemic, in this area. Both rural areas and urban areas have been hard hit. The first indication from our teams is that rural people are relying on what remains of their food stocks and are collecting bamboo to rebuild their houses. However in towns, people are becoming increasingly reliant on food assistance as food shortages exist and the price of rice has now tripled. In the Twantey and Daala areas, people are gathered in and around numerous monasteries and schools, without food or clean water. These numerous and spontaneous multiple gathering sites - there are over 50 alone in the Twantey zone - means bringing the appropriate assistance will be challenging. “We are continuing to bring relief assistance to the affected populations and will extend our assessments. However it is clear today that with the limited means we have, both in terms of human resources and material, we are not able to adequately respond to the needs of the population", explains Souheil Reiche, Head of MSF Switzerland Operations in Yangon. “Following the government’s appeal for international assistance, it is essential that emergency visas are issued and that relief shipments are allowed to arrive. MSF teams have been on standby for 48 hours waiting to come to help us in the Delta. “ 20 international staff, all experts in emergency interventions, are ready to join the MSF teams in Myanmar. A cargo plane containing 40 tons of first aid materials, plastic sheeting, therapeutic food and sanitary materials, is ready to leave from Europe this evening.
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