More than one week after cyclone Nargis devastated the South-West areas of Myanmar, the first Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Cargo plane arrived this morning in Yangon (Rangoon) at 8.30 local time, loaded with 34 tons of medical and logistical material. After customs clearance, goods have been transferred to MSF warehouses in the city.
Delivered goods include treatments for diarrheal diseases and malaria, Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food, plastic sheeting, water containers, water pumps, and an 8-person Zodiac boat. Three more MSF cargo planes are on their way from Frankfurt, Ostende and Dubai, and expected to arrive on Monday and Tuesday, carrying another 120 tons of material.
MSF’s just arrived relief material will be sent by trucks to the disaster areas in the coming days. However, the needs of the affected population assessed in the Irrwaddy delta area by MSF aid workers are so important that many more supplies will have to come into the country to respond to the current crisis.
MSF currently has now over 100 staff in the delta and between 10 and 20 new staff are arriving each day there. In Twantey, Bogaley, Kungyangon, Pathein (Bassein), Haigyi and Laputta, 15 teams are now doing consultations, distributing food, plastic sheeting and other items, purifying water and cleaning up sites where people have sought refuge.
In some areas, MSF has been imposed increasing constraints by the authorities. In Bogaley for instance, the MSF team is unable to provide as much assistance as they could to respond to the enormous needs in terms of food and medical care.
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| MSF staff loading 35 tons of supplies for the victims of the cyclone in Myanmar on a cargo plane at Frankfurt Hahn airport in Germany. The cargo contains water and sanitation supplies, plastic sheeting, and medical supplies. © Frey-Pressebild |
For more information or to arrange interviews, please call Sally McMillan on 0447 482 379.
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