Food remains an urgent need as devastated communities come together in Myanmar

5 June 2008

Jon Mitchell, CARE Emergency Response Director, has returned from the remote village of Kan Phar in the Irrawaddy Delta where he found an incredible sense of community amongst survivors amid the devastation and urgent need for food.

Kan Phar was devastated by the storm and tidal surge following Cyclone Nargis. Prior to the Cyclone, the isolated village had a population of 4,000; today 800 people are either dead or missing.

Mitchell speaks avidly of the camaraderie shown between the villagers under such disastrous circumstances; "People hadn't been waiting for aid. They lost everything but they are getting on with their lives by rebuilding from what they can find out of the debris."

While the survivors are doing what they can for the recovery, food remains an urgent need.

"They need food, not just now but the months ahead. The people told us that they thought they could replant the crops but needed seeds. Even if these new crops succeed, it will be 5 months before they will have food again. Food aid, here and for villages across the delta will be a major long-term priority."

"We asked them what they had been eating before aid arrived. All of their rice stocks had been destroyed, they told us they were either collecting coconuts or eating spoiled rice to survive," says Mitchell.

"What struck me when I spoke to the people was their resilience and sense of community. The village is divided into five hamlets which surround and share a water pond. They knew the first priority was to drain the pond of the contaminated water from the storm to allow it to fill with fresh rain water for the survivors. When we arrived there were 100 people clearing the pond themselves. They said that while there had been conflict in the past, it had been put aside so they were able help the entire community."

CARE has since provided water pumps to make the task easier for the community and to ensure the availability of clean water, food and non food items to help them rebuild their lives.

More than one month since Cyclone Nargis devastated these communities; Over 130 national and expatriate CARE staff have provided more than 120,000 survivors with food, water and other essential items.

Deborah Underdown, Assistant Communications Officer, London, on Mob: 0782 456 3810
underdown@careinternational.org.uk

Roslyn Boatman
Tel: +61.3.9421.5572 Mobile: +61.419.567.777
E-mail: roslyn.boatman@careaustralia.org.au