Burma Cyclone: Two years on

Burma Cyclone Appeal

View our photo slideshow to take a journey into Burma.

Thank you for your generosity. Archbishop Bo says: “To all of you who stood with our people, our hearts express a deep sense of gratitude.”

Many homes have been reconstructed, but tens of thousands of people still need our help.

Caritas is helping people to rebuild their livelihoods.

Pyapon: Quickly resuming schools was a significant achievement by the Caritas response in mitigating long term psychological issues.

The logistics of access to the affected areas complicates the relief efforts, with much aid and material only being deliverable by boat.

The Caritas response has worked closely with all religions, particularly the dominant Buddhists, in an extensive rehabilitation program in Burma following Cyclone Nargis.

Reconstruction is progressing well despite the difficulties, but much more needs to be done.

Two years on from Cylcone Nargis, which took the lives of more than 140,000 people and left more than two million people without homes, the Caritas network continues to bring dignity to those affected.

Following an initial emergency response to more than 150,000 people, Caritas Australia’s  partners have been working with affected communities to rebuild homes and infrastructure, reopen schools, build local capacity and protect livelihoods.

Since 2008 Caritas Australia has supported projects to:

• Rebuild more than 450 permanent shelters and repair more than 1500 homes damaged in the cyclone.
• Ensure water sanitation and construct wells, water pumps and ponds to restore safe drinking water in communities.
• Provide cash for work, reinvigorate local farming and explore non-farm based livelihoods for the landless poor.
• Provide grants for small business and vocational training to increase women’s capacity to generate income.
• Embed Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies and emergency preparedness in affected communities.
• Provide Health Behaviour Change and Prevention of Communicable Diseases training)
• Facilitate counseling for nearly 4000 cyclone Nargis survivors and provide training for villagers to respond to and support the psycho-social needs of their communities.
• Recruit and train community volunteer teachers, and identify at-risk children orphaned or marginalised by the disaster.
• Build local institutional capacity through Project Management training.
  

Yangon’s Archbishop Charles Bo, leading the local response, says the Church’s greatest achievement has been its ability to provide support to the most vulnerable people affected by the cyclone.

“Our intervention is targeted to the villages and places neglected by others.  Our flexibility has been our strength.”

Archbishop Bo, thanked the world and particularly the Caritas community who have given so generously to support the people of but impelled us not to forget the suffering during the many years it will take to build back what has been lost.

“Myanmar continues to be a humanitarian challenge; Myanmar cannot be forgotten.  Her graceful people have known too many crosses.  We have gained a new confidence, reached out to thousands, but thousands still wait for some basic needs,” he said.

“Too much remains to be done to revive life in the Cyclone affected delta area, our helplessness sometimes, can be frustrating.

“But we are grateful to the Church, which has unflinchingly stood by our people's suffering  and we will continue our life saving work for as long as necessary, encouraged by the support of the Caritas Internationalis family.”

Ongoing assistance needed by many
Rosemary Pikko, Emergencies Coordinator of the National Karuna Office (the local Caritas) says that while the most immediate needs are being addressed, many tens of thousands of people still require ongoing assistance.

The scale of the disaster and ongoing difficulties with access to the affected areas, compounded by a shortage of food (due to loss of agricultural production in the rice bowl of the Delta),  has affecting more than 5 million people across the country, indicating that although much has been achieved, there is significant work ahead.

The International Organisation of Migration reports that nearly half a million cyclone survivors are still without homes, and Caritas partners worry that many make-shift shelters are unfit to ward against annuals strong winds and rain.

Archbishop Bo says communities remain in dire need for opportunities to work and to generate income, without which entrenched poverty and migration will ensue.

“There is a gaping hole in the recovery. Nargis affected millions and we could reach out to 200,000. There remains enormous need for capacity building in all sectors of health, education, livelihoods, water & sanitation, and disaster risk reduction.

Through our work, Caritas Australia is empowering communities to take ownership of the recovery and strengthening local capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

Caritas, with its extensive web of volunteers and supporters throughout the country is well placed to continue its life saving work but more resources are urgently needed to support this network.

How you can help

Donate to the Caritas Australia Burma Humanitarian Appeal or join our hopegiver program to become a monthly giver. 

One year on: Stories of significant change

• Preparing for the monsoon
• Linking people through infrastructures

Older stories:

• Six months on: listen to an interview with Archbishop Charles Bo on the ground in Burma
• Volunteer spirit of the Church and supporters
• Focus on those in most desperate need
• Impact on women and girls most severe
• Harnessing power of the local response