#039/08 May 16, 2008
Update: Humanitarian Relief Efforts for Victims of Cyclone Nargis - May 16, 2008
Conditions in the hardest-hit areas remain dire. The UN now estimates that as many as 2.5 million Burmese are in urgent need of assistance, and estimates cyclone-related deaths at between 63,000 and 101,000.
Today, four flights of C-130s filled with relief supplies are scheduled to land in Rangoon. Two flights will be carrying aid donated by the Royal Thai Government. As of May 15, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) completed 13 airlifts to Rangoon with emergency relief commodities.
Yesterday, the DOD flew five C-130 sorties transporting U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and DOD relief commodities from Utapao, Thailand to Rangoon. The flights delivered a total of 160 rolls of plastic sheeting, which will serve 8,000 people; 2,880 hygiene kits, which will serve 14,400 people for 2 weeks; and 8,400 water containers, which will serve 16,800 people. In addition, the flights included USAID-funded blankets and bottles of water procured by DOD.
The total USG humanitarian assistance made available to date is over US$17.5 million.
The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) remains in Bangkok and Utapao, Thailand, coordinating U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian assistance and awaiting Government of Burma (GOB) approval to enter Burma.
Three U.S. Navy ships of the USS Essex Group (USS Essex, USS Juneau, USS Harpers Ferry) are positioned in international waters in the vicinity of Burma and stand ready to support humanitarian assistance relief efforts if they are given permission by the government of Burma.
From May 12 to 15, the USAID/DART and DOD coordinated the delivery of more than US$400,000 of USAID/OFDA commodities to Rangoon on thirteen DOD C-130 flights. On May 12, USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore announced US$13 million in food aid and logistics assistance through World Food Program (WFP).
On May 6, an additional US$3 million from USAID/OFDA was allocated for the provision of emergency relief assistance, including US$1 million to the American Red Cross and $2 million for NGO partners.
On May 5, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Shari Villarosa declared a disaster in Burma due to the effects of Cyclone Nargis. In response, USAID/OFDA deployed a USAID/DART and immediately provided US$250,000 to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the WFP, and UNHCR for emergency food, water and sanitation, and shelter assistance.
For more information on DOD operations, contact Lt. Col. Jeffrey Blau at 087-058-8180 or Lt. Col. Douglas Powell at 087-809-0894.
For more information on USAID, contact Rebecca Gustafson at 089-205-2323 or Hal Lipper at 089-204-8725.
For more information from the U.S. Embassy Bangkok, contact Michael Turner at 081-823-9768 or Cynthia Brown at 081-821-7697.
