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| Report on MCA/WACS Nargis Cyclone AID Developments 2008-08-26 |
From: Oliver Esser Soe Thet Myanmar Aid Direct to People Dear all, friends of Myanmar and Myanmar residents, In 4 months there will be Christmas around the world, although here in the Nargis-hit Delta region Christmas has seemingly come early. For three weeks we were a bit silent apart from the “News Flashes” at our WACS website, www.wacs2000.org, in the sense of long reports. The reason was and is, that we got more and more attached to the live and daily issues of the people in the Delta in 24 villages, and were very much involved with food, nutrition, health, education, housing and water sanitation. Everything was made possible through your every individual donation - most grateful to you all - still coming in. Up until now, 12 more villages with around 24,000 people have requested for our support as there was no help jet and the situation is getting more serious for them – our limited funds did not allow us to bring them in, even for the most basic – The Daily Rice Ration. A big “food basket” was promised and funded by a UN Agency but was never implemented - for 200,000 beneficiaries, in southern YGN Division, was the hope we had for all these people, as well as for the other 24 villages. Sadly, save for many words, many meetings and several promises, nothing happened, nothing got arranged by this UN Agency for these people. It is their right, but since over 10 weeks now, all is approved but not yet delivered. We spent a lot of time in these meetings with a pure intention believing in this AID Giant – UN, we promised to the people on the ground and made contacts to ensure that they get their fair share. Up until now, we have not seen any rice corn being sent to these people. We will monitor any progress whenever we are at the River Villages. Myanmar Aid Direct to People Dr Werner & Mallu Heller “Nargis – Cyclone 2008”, account Dresdner Bank Duesseldorf A kind of Christmas – 24.8.08 The reason why we were a bit silent regarding our very detailed reports was that we were very much busier over the past 3 to 4 weeks with very good news of developments and help for the cyclone victims at the Irrawaddy Delta. The cargo vessel MV Susan K, donated at the spot while in Yangon Port: 2500 tin food, 900 kg best parboiled rice and 1200 bottles of mineral water. Mr. Frank and Mrs. Marie Luise and the whole team of Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen from Frankfurt arranged with and through us the major Aid Donation of 62 tonnes of mainly baby and children food, urgently needed by an estimated 68,000 children under 5 years who are at risk of malnutrition. Mrs. Agnes James and Singapore Airlines Germany collected more and sent another 250 kg clothes for people at the Delta which just arrived today. All these very valuable initiatives needed special attention, time, arrangements and coordination with port and airport customs and warehouse people in charge. This was and still is not a small amount. All arrangements for our Delta Region Warehouses, as well logistics to transfer all goods by truck as well by big Delta boats as far as Haingyi Island (for roofing material), Labutta (mainly for water purification & children food), Pyapon and Kayilat (food and children food) and Twante (a mix of all). This is next to our usual rice distribution twice weekly to our 24 villages – 26,000 people at the river triangle of Maubin, Kayilat and Twante. Here we added several more initiatives to the people there and extended our health support program with two volunteer Myanmar Surgical Drs (long time friends of MCA) as well as more housing for people in need. We had several “special cases” – this is where we also like to concentrate more on now, as we know the villages now very well, we know where are the people who need the most attention. Maung Akar Min a 1.5 year old baby totally burnt both hands and arms with cooking liquid. We brought him with his mother the same day to a Yangon Hospital and Dr Win Htu (from the Plastic Surgery Team) treated him for a week. He is now back home. 8 weeks old Nargis baby, Mg Thet Naing Oo, with just 2.7 kg weight suffered from a chest infection and was more dead than alive. We brought the baby to the YGN Child Hospital and granted treatment for 4 weeks, as well a special Mother and Child education training for the mother there. The baby is very well now and returned on 20.8.08 with his mother back to the Delta. We also brought a pregnant women for a 8th month check up as she had back injuries. All is OK with the baby and it is the first time in the Delta village that the villagers knew she was carrying a boy. Last week her husband died all of a sudden and they still need a house and further support to ensure life for the living and a better life for the baby. We can take care the of house, give some direct support and the eldest daughter can work at a good friend’s house in Yangon – she will also get further education – a very good Myanmar family. We had the honor of Mr. Klaus Mittermaier following us twice to the Delta rivers. He a special envoy from the German Government to Myanmar, in charge of supporting and coordinating all German NGOs and INGOs activities concerning Nargis Aid & Relief. We learnt a lot from his wide experience of over 20 years with cyclones in Bangladesh, mostly on the long term projects such as safe shelter systems. Tobias Esche from the Humbolt University Berlin also assisted us during our Delta tours, especially with food distribution and language assistance, as he speaks fluently the Myanmar language. Twice we had also been with Mr. Frank Franke of Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen ( LOG ) Germany at the Delta. He, as president of LOG, was mainly responsible for the great load of aid to Myanmar people, providing 62 tonnes of children food. Under the them: “Smiles from Food, No Tears from Hunger”, we delivered thousands of ready to drink milk as well high nutrition cookies from MILUPA Germany to children under 5 years. From the Myanmar Ambassador in Berlin, knowing that Mr. Franke is a well known Journalist, he got the encouragement, “…We are happy that you by yourself visit our country, we would like to invite you to see direct hands on, we would love that you write about your view and what you experience in Myanmar and at the Delta region…So that many more people get a first hand view on the situation in Myanmar today.” Mr. Franke did so, well equipped for both newspaper and TV. We are very happy that this way, a clear and straight view on the situation here can reach people in Europe and beyond. We would be happy if more would: “…Come and see – seeing is believing.” We hope very much that through these hands on and first hand accounts, direct from the ground reports from Myanmar, can encourage many more people to come and visit our country. Visit the Delta region, see the lives of the people there and visit the traditional tourist destinations such as Ancient Bagan, Historical Mandalay, Romantic Inle Lake and Pristine Ngapali Beach. Only the ones who come by themselves can get a clear uncovered picture. All the people of Myanmar welcome you, you as tourists are hope for them. You will help them to generate private direct income indirectly as tourism boosts the educational as well vocational standard in a country and region. The people of Myanmar have already decided – tourists should come to Myanmar now, you are warmly welcomed. Tomorrow, 24.8.08 we will be at the Irrawaddy Delta again, we will split our team, one will go to Ma Khet Khet for food and child food delivery, as well as to follow up with the highly pregnant lady there. Our team will be at our “hard core village”, with our two Drs again for direct treatment to children and elder people. As a special task we will screen all children under the age of five years, measure them by weight and height as well MUAC, to get a clear indication of the level of malnutrition and compare the situation 6 weeks ago and in 6 weeks to come. It is important to focus more on most people in need, rather than doing a blanket treatment. Also here we will have for the kids the Milupina High Nutrition Snack. Another duty tomorrow will be the training as well installation of permanent “Child Feeding Stations” where mothers will bring their babies (older than 6 months) for additional feeding. We are able to do this thanks to all you individual donors, as well through the massive aid donation of children food in combination with clean German mineral water through Mr. Franke and LOG Germany. We would also like to say many thanks to our long time friend, Mr Monching from Samporna Company, who ensured that we can start an new Traditional Housing Project in a village on the way. Tomorrow we will do the survey there to get things started. While construction materials are getting lesser, we might be able to establish another 40 to 50 new houses for the people in urgent need. We could do much more, but funds are needed. We understand that time is needed and so we are very happy to have off and on again a good donor sending funds to our account as mentioned below. We would be happy if you could help us with a bit to ensure that support for these people at the Delta can be extended until late October to early November 2008. Soon I will bring you more detailed reports, thoughts and suggestions from the people at the Delta. With many thanks, yours, Oliver Esser Soe Thet & Daw Khin Khet Khet Khaing Myanmar Aid Direct to People Dr Werner & Mallu Heller “Nargis – Cyclone 2008 account Add your full address for your receipt & info!!!! Hilfe fuer Entwicklungslaender e.V. “ Action Myanmar “ • Dr. med. Werner & Mallu Heller, Wildenbruchstr. 66, With a very big thank you to all supporters, any support is a big help to the victims. |