Cyclone hits Myanmar and UNICEF is there to help
Frank Susa, UNICEF USA
Donate now to support UNICEF's emergency response efforts for children in Myanmar.
© epa/Corbis
A young woman sits amidst debris at Chaun Tha beach. The tropical cyclone, packing winds of 140 mph, slammed into Myanmar, rendering hundreds of thousands homeless.
NEW YORK (May 5, 2008) — A category-3 cyclone struck the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar on Friday, devastating the coastline and urban centers. After making landfall in the Irrawaddy delta region, the storm tracked inland, directly hitting the capital Yangon late the same night.
Thousands are reported dead, and the number of survivors in need of assistance will number in the hundreds of thousands. This is the largest natural disaster to hit the region since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
UNICEF is one of the few humanitarian organizations that has a permanent presence in Myanmar, and emergency assistance is already underway. Today, UNICEF has deployed five teams to the worst affected regions of Myanmar to get an accurate assessment of survivors' immediate needs.
UNICEF and WHO both have field officers positioned throughout the country to ensure that assistance reaches those children and women for whom it is intended. Emergency medicine, nutrition, shelter, child protection and reunification efforts are already underway.
Limited information
Detailed information on the impact of the cyclone has not been available due to downed communications and blocked roads. Information on the situation outside Yangon is even more limited. What we do know is that many villages in the hardest hit areas have been completely flattened.
The cyclone caused widespread devastation in Yangon. Winds of over 120 mph tore down trees and power lines, while accompanying rain caused flooding in many areas. Telecommunications lines were cut. Buildings have been badly damaged throughout the city, and it expected that significant numbers have been left without adequate shelter.
Electricity is not likely to be restored for several days. Water supplies will also be a major problem. Many roads remain impassable, either due to flooding or fallen debris and the airport has been closed until further notice.
A devastating impact
"The confirmed number is 3,934 dead, 41 injured and 2,879 missing within the Yangon and Irrawaddy divisions," according to a recent government broadcast. It is expected that hundreds of thousands of people have, in fact, been rendered homeless and food and water are reported to be running short.
Urgent needs are expected to be plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits and food. Fuel shortages have also already been reported. Determining the impact in areas outside Yangon has been even more difficult, though it can be assumed to be critical, with shelter and safe water being the principal immediate needs.
UNICEF is there
UNICEF has been on the ground in Myanmar continuously since 1950, keeping children healthy and helping to reduce the country's high infant morality rate. In Myanmar, UNICEF:
- Provides approximately 90 percent of the vaccines used to inoculate children in Myanmar against seven major vaccine-preventable diseases
- Supports routine immunization campaigns and is expanding immunization coverage in hard-to-reach areas
- Provides equipment to ensure that vaccines retain their potency
UNICEF also keeps women and children healthy by improving the quality and availability of health services. UNICEF does this by:
- Training rural health center staff in the integrated management of maternal and childhood illnesses
- Increasing access to essential drugs
- Ensuring the availability of standard and emergency obstetric care facilities in township hospitals
- Reducing the prevalence of malaria through the provision of bed nets, diagnostic equipment and medication
UNICEF strives to reduce child and maternal malnutrition by:
- Increasing mothers' awareness of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for their children during the first six months of life
- Supplying the majority of vitamin A capsules to children nationwide to prevent blindness and strengthen children's immune systems
- Supplying 50 percent of all potassium iodate nationwide to support salt iodization, which prevents iodine deficiency disorders and mental retardation
- Providing iron supplements to pregnant and lactating women to prevent anemia
Of course, UNICEF remains dedicated to providing lifesaving assistance to children affected by disasters, and to protecting their rights in any circumstances, no matter how difficult. In Myanmar, UNICEF will stay on the ground throughout the current emergency and after, providing health and nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection and education.
