IHP's Support for Myanmar - Cyclone Nargis - May/June 2008

Cyclone Nargis: 1 July 2008 – Situation Report & Update

Click here for a film from the delta 4 weeks after the disaster, made by a UK Doctor working for Merlin who has been granted access to the Delta region of Burma. He undertakes a needs analysis of the area (warning, there are one or two dead bodies in the clip), and manages to reach the hardest hit and most isolated areas. His video report was played on Newsnight.

New photos here

IHP’s Response

• IHP is coordinating the donation of medicines from the UK to support the medical teams of UK and international NGOs working in the WHO Health Cluster
• IHP’s first shipment of 10 emergency kits of essential medicines was sent on 9th May, to Merlin, and are being used in the Ayeyarwady Delta by Merlin medical teams
• IHP has also made four shipments of medical kits and essential medicines in partnership with World Emergency Relief to support the medical teams of ADRA International, Merlin and a number of small local medical charities.
• IHP has sent a total of 76 emergency kits (each including over 100 treatments of essential medicines) and bulk shipments of antibiotics, analgesics, oral rehydration salts, other essential medicines, vitamins and specialized dressings, with a value over £500k
• IHP has additional essential medicines ready to be sent as needs dictate.
• IHP has been working with DHL Global Forwarding and Aviation Without Borders to arrange the shipping into Yangon, using both direct flights and the ‘international air bridge’ via Bangkok.
• IHP supports the WHO Guidelines for Donated Medicines which call for first quality medicines with over 12 months dating. IHP only sends essential medicines as requested by medical teams in the disaster zone to meet specific needs.

36 companies have so far donated, or offered donations, of requested essential medicines or financial support: Actavis, Alliance Boots, Altana, Astra Zeneca, Co-op/Wardles, Dr Reddy’s, Galderma, Generics UK, Genus, GlaxoSmithKline, Holland & Barrett, Hydrachem, Johnson & Johnson/LifeScan, Janssen Cilag, Kent Pharmaceuticals, Keyline-Brands, Lamberts Healthcare, Merck & Co, Merck Serono, Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Orrick, Pfizer, PLIVA, Procter & Gamble, Ranbaxy, Ratiopharm, Reckitt Benckiser, Roche, Rosemont, Sandoz, sanofi-aventis, Seven Seas, Smith & Nephew, Wightman & Parrish and Wyeth.

Background
Category 4 Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar on 2 and 3 May 2008, sweeping through the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region with 120 miles (190 km) per hour winds followed by a 12-foot (3.7-metre) wave that leveled villages and caused most of the casualties and damage.  Five states and divisions (Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin) have been declared to be disaster areas, with 24 million people, nearly half the country's population, affected.
It is quickly becoming clear that the cyclone has caused unprecedented devastation in the affected areas. Buildings and infrastructure have been severely damaged, and flooding is widespread. The low-lying delta region also suffered from the effects of a sizable storm surge, which is feared to have wiped out whole villages. Assessments have been conducted by 18 agencies in 55 townships. Based on these assessments, it is estimated the number of dead will exceed 120,000 with almost 2.5 million severely affected and 220,000 missing. The UN estimates that 5,000 square kilometers are still flooded. Following a visit of the UN Secretary General on 23 May, the Burmese Government agreed to allow open access to foreign aid workers to support the relief effort.

Health Situation
The WHO reports the main health concerns are the loss of access to health services in the affected areas, due to damage to health facilities and possible loss or displacement of health personnel. Displacement, overcrowding and loss of access to safe water has increased the risk of communicable diseases. Malaria and tuberculosis are two of the major public health hazards in the country. A crisis room crisis room and Health Cluster is being run by the WHO office in Yangon.  The Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) Country Team has activated the Cluster approach, involving the health, logistics, protection, water and sanitation, food and nutrition clusters. WHO leads the Health Cluster of 24 medical NGOs and international /government agencies. The UN Country Team considers critical needs to be plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits and food. Reports of water and fuel shortages are already appearing in mainstream media. The food security situation in the country, which was already severe, looks set to become far more acute.  

Aid Shipments
The first aid flights went into Myanmar in mid May, and the number of commercial flights substantially increased during June. Logistics capabilities in Myanmar are very restricted and a significant amount of the coordination is being undertaken from Bangkok.  An air bridge has been established between Bangkok and Yangon with Thai Airlines being one of the very few airlines being given permission to ship aid. IHP is liaising closely with the UK Government response team at DFID, WHO, the logistics cluster and with the international emergency NGOs which already had teams on the ground before the emergency.      

Supporting the Relief Effort

Product Donations:  IHP has approached the pharma industry in UK for donations of additional essential medicines for use in emergency kits and to meet specific needs.  Pharma companies wishing to support the response should contact IHP by e -mail with offers of available medicines and using the donations form which provides all the necessary information for customs clearance. An Essential Medicines List has been issued for the Myanmar Cyclone response, by the WHO in liaison with the Ministry of Health.

Financial Support: Each £1 donated to IHP will lever and deliver over £20 of donated medicines to the emergency teams on the ground.  This is a very effective way of multiplying your donations and support the medical emergency teams active in Myanmar.

Please click on the bubbles to donate online to IHP via our Charities Aid Foundation account.

Latest WHO Situation Report 27 [19 Jun]: here
Latest OCHA Report 33 [19 June]: here
Essential Medicines List for the Myanmar Cyclone is attached here

Cyclone Nargis: Previous Reports & Updates

Cyclone Nargis 13 May 2008 – Situation Report & Update
First of IHP’s Medicines from the UK are distributed

Cyclone Nargis 8 May 2008 – Situation Report & Update

Latest maps of the disaster can be found here and here

Response to Cyclone Nargis – 6 May 2008

Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (Burma) on 2 and 3 May 2008, sweeping through the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region and the country’s largest city, Yangon. The authorities have declared five states and divisions (Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin) to be disaster areas. Yangon sustained a direct hit, which downed power and communications lines, and inflicted major damage to buildings in the city. Many roads are blocked either by flooding or fallen debris. Damage was most severe in the delta region, where the effects of extreme winds were compounded by a sizable storm surge.

The Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Social Welfare, Relief and Rehabilitation and Information noted in a briefing this evening that up to 10,000 people are expected to be dead, with 3,000 more missing in Ayeyarwady Division alone. State media have reported that in Haing Ky, an island in the delta, 162 were killed and nearly 20,000 houses were destroyed, leaving 92,706 homeless. Several hundred thousand are estimated to be without shelter and safe drinking water. The UNCT still expects that critical needs will be plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits and food. Fuel shortages have also been reported. The food security situation in the country, which was already severe, is likely to become more acute.

International Health Partners are liaising with the UN teams who are coordinating the response to the international call for assistance once assessments have been completed in the next 24 – 48 hours.

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This site was updated on 01.07.08