Published: 09 May 2008
Burma Cyclone Appeal
Christian Aid is responding to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis in Burma which has left up to tens of thousands of people dead and an even greater number missing. Christian Aid has already committed £50,000 for local partners to carry out relief work.
An estimated one million people are also reportedly homeless and they are asking that you please donate what you can to their Burma appeal.
The severe cyclone tore through the heavily populated Irrawaddy delta region on the evening of 2 May reaching Rangoon, Burma's largest city, on 3 May.
The Irrawaddy delta region is the country’s main agricultural area and the impact on food supplies will be severe.
Christian Aid staff in London have been attempting to contact partners in Burma since the cyclone hit, but with power and telephone lines down in the affected area communication has been extremely difficult.
However, a handwritten letter delivered to Christian Aid by one of our partners described some of the damage left by Nargis:
’Trees and houses were wiped away in many villages and flooding occurred leaving salt water everywhere.
Most of the old buildings in Rangoon are destroyed or at least all the roofing is gone with the wind,’ they wrote.
The storm was brewing in the Bay of Bengal for several days, but communities in the affected areas would have been ill prepared due to a lack of early warning systems.
What your donation can do
- £20 could help provide two relief packages containing water purification tablets, medicines and food
- £40 could pay for an early-warning system such as loudspeakers and flags for a community
- £100 could help pay towards materials for temporary shelters
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