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| CARE unloads two mobile water purification plants, collapsable jerry cans, water purification tablets from a plane that arrived in Yangon airport. (2008 Melanie Brooks/CARE) |
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| On May 2–3, Tropical Cyclone Nargis pounded Myanmar (Burma) with winds of up to 120 miles per hour. In addition to devastating the capital city of Yangon (Rangoon), the storm also tore through some of Myanmar’s most important rice-growing areas in the Irrawaddy Delta. While Myanmar officials have raised the official death toll from Cyclone Nargis to 84,500, the U.N. estimates that the devastating storm has claimed more than 100,000 lives and left 2.4 million people severely affected.
The disaster caused widespread destruction of homes and critical infrastructure, including roads, water and sanitation systems, fuel supplies and electricity. With many water supplies contaminated and food stocks destroyed, the situation remains dire. - Click here to read an overview our Cyclone Nargis response.
- Click here to see the Myanmar photo gallery.
- Click here to read our latest blog on Myanmar.
CARE's Response To date, CARE has provided emergency assistance to more than 222,000 people in desperate need. We were well-positioned to respond to this emergency, with more than 550 staff who have worked on projects in Myanmar for more than 14 years (map). In the immediate aftermath of the storm, we were able to distribute food and water to people who had fled to safety inside schools and pagodas in the capital city. Myanmar allowed CARE staff to visit the worst-hit areas in the Irrawaddy delta to make assessments; and the UN asked us to be the coordinating agency for food distributions there. We continue to provide safe drinking water, food and seeds for planting, shelter materials, sanitation supplies and hygiene kits to help meet humanitarian needs in six vulnerable communities (click on the photos to enlarge):
| CARE provided 100,000 pieces of bamboo for rebuilding. We floated it down the river, and staff stayed in the small shelter on the raft. (2008 Lise Tonelli/CARE) |
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| | CARE distributed 2,500 earthen jars to families in the Irrawaddy Delta who lost their water storage containers in the storm. (2008 Lise Tonelli/CARE) |
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| | A woman who received a family kit from CARE learns how to effectively use the mosquito net. (2008 Lise Tonelli/CARE) |
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| | CARE handed out household supplies and shelter kits to families in the Tawntay township. (2008 Lise Tonelli/CARE) |
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Click on the following links to find out more: Click below to read recent media coverage: 
Myanmar Country Snapshot*
Population: 50 million
Independence: 1948
Life expectancy: 60.5 years
Adult literacy rate: 89.9%
Access to safe water: 78%
Infant mortality rate:
106 per 1000 births
Maternal mortality rate:
360 per 100,000 live births
HIV prevalence: 2% * Source: Human Development Report 2006 |
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