WESTPORT, Conn., May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the death toll in Myanmar continues to rise as a result of Cyclone Nargis and as hardships for hundreds of thousands of survivors left in its wake increase, Save the Children is mounting a rapid response to provide lifesaving relief to children and families in five regions hit hardest by the storm.
Save the Children staff members have reached 63,000 people with life-saving materials including food, water, and materials for shelter, but concern is growing that thousands of survivors may die if clean water and other materials are not provided within the next few days.
Andrew Kirkwood, Save the Children's country director in Myanmar, reports that in the delta region of Irrawaddy, staff members have seen many corpses rotting where the waters have receded. Staff members also report that in the Pyinkaya area, south-west of the delta, isolated people are dying of hunger and thirst for lack of humanitarian assistance. Such conditions lend themselves to outbreaks of water-borne diseases, which could increase the death toll.
Throughout the delta region, known as the country's rice bowl, many villages have been devastated, with thousands of homes destroyed, and more than 3,000 schools damaged. The low-lying Irawaddy Delta suffered the effects of a sizable storm surge and many areas remain underwater, hampering efforts to reach families in need. Much of the delta is reachable only by boat.
Since Monday, 1,000 bags of rice, 20 rolls of tarpaulin, sugar and salt have reached Pathein, where Save the Children has set up one of its bases of operations. The agency plans to use boats to transport materials to hard-to-reach locations.
"Save the Children is mobilizing its 500 employees in 35 offices across the affected region to assist vulnerable children and families who have lost their homes in this most recent disaster," said Ned Olney, Save the Children's vice president for international humanitarian response. "Shelter materials, clean water, mosquito nets and emergency health kits are critical needs at this time -- and we are moving quickly to provide these lifesaving items."
Authorities have declared five regions with an estimated total population of 24 million to be in a state of emergency, including Yangon (Rangoon) Division, Pegu Division, Mon State, Karen State and the Irrawaddy Division. This delta is considered to be the country's rice basket and already, the cost of food has doubled in many markets.
"The impending rainy season is likely to complicate an already desperate situation," said Olney. "The current lack of clean water will directly impact the health of children and their parents. And standing water only increases the possibility of an outbreak of waterborne illness. We need to move aid quickly to alleviate current hardships and mitigate the potential for a greater crisis."
Save the Children has raised nearly $1.5 million dollars in donations from individuals, corporations and foundations for its response to help children and families affected by Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar's southwestern coast early on Saturday, May 3. The global humanitarian organization, based in Westport, CT, has received an additional $2 million through gift-in-kind donations. Save the Children worldwide is seeking $10 million in donations for its relief efforts.
Save the Children currently operates programs in all five of the affected regions and has worked in Myanmar since 1995. As one of the largest nongovernmental organizations at work in Myanmar, the agency implements programs focused on early childhood care and development, child survival and child protection. All staff members are safe and accounted for, although their homes and families have been affected.
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