World Vision appealing for $1 million for Myanmar

May 6, 2008

REUTERS/alertnet.org

With the death toll in Myanmar sitting at 10,000, and expected to rise further, World Vision New Zealand is appealing for $1 million to help those devastated by Cyclone Nargis.

New Zealanders sponsor almost 1,000 children in Myanmar through World Vision, and at this stage there are no reports any have been affected by the cyclone.

World Vision New Zealand CEO Lisa Cescon says the scale of the disaster is huge, as is the scale of World Vision's response.

"With more than 3,000 people still missing, an estimated two million affected and five regions – hosting a population of 24 million people – declared disaster zones, this is a full-scale response by World Vision.

"We've committed $50,000 from our 40 Hour Famine emergency fund to help right away, and we're appealing for a further much-needed $1 million from New Zealanders.

"Kiwis are always generous in times of need such as this, and this cyclone has left millions in Myanmar in urgent need of assistance."

The government of Myanmar has invited World Vision to provide assistance, working with other aid agencies and co-ordinating with authorities get relief to where it's needed.

World Vision assessment teams have been deployed to the hardest-hit areas to determine the most urgent needs. The agency is already providing rice, water, clothing, tarpaulins and blankets hundreds of families.

In Yangon, Myanmar, World Vision's James Tumbuan described a chaotic scene: "Yangon totally collapsed. All the roads were blocked with fallen trees. The way Yangon used to look, with its big trees, has been totally changed.

Tumbuan said thousands of people were now camped in government schools in and around Yangon.

World Vision has worked in Myanmar for some 40 years and currently assists children and families across the country with food assistance, agriculture, health, clean water, education, income generation, HIV and AIDS programmes, anti-trafficking and nutritional assistance.

Donate to World Vision's work in Myanmar or call 0800 800 776.