Following the massive cyclone which smashed into the delta region of the Union of Myanmar on May 3, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake, the government and people of Myanmar have been striving to provide succor and assistance to those affected by the disaster.
Giving the magnitude of the disaster and the difficulty of access to the Ayeyarwady delta region, the relief work is a Herculean task. The onset of the monsoon and the breakdown of the infrastructure have added to the problem. Prime Minister General Thein Sein, Chairman of the Disaster Preparedness Central Committee and Cabinet Ministers hastened to the affected areas as soon as the disaster occurred. Myanmar citizens from every corner to the country have also been making donations to the relief fund setup for the victims of the sister. Donations include cash, foodstuff, construction material, household goods and clothing.
The Myanmar Armed Forces together with local NGOs and international NGOs in the country are doing their level best to alleviate the suffering of the people in the storm-hit area. Medical teams have also been dispatched to the affected areas to treat the injured.
The Government and people of Myanmar are deeply appreciative of the timely response of neighboring countries and other friendly countries as well as international agencies. Cargo flights are arriving Yangon on daily basis and the relief goods are unloaded expeditiously and forwarded to the affected areas by all available means, such as helicopters, truck and by boats.
In the circumstance, the international community can best help Myanmar overcome the daunting challenge it faces by working together with the Myanmar authorities, local experts and international NGOs who have been operating in the country for decades and who are familiar with the complex terrain of the Ayeyawaddy delta region.
International assistance and relief work carried out by the Government of the Union of Myanmar after the disaster
Soon after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar on the morning of May 3, the Prime Minister General Thein Sein and Ministers arrived in Yangon on the same evening, in order to take necessary measures effectively at the central level and the Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, the Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs, the Minister for Forestry, the Minister for Cooperatives and the Minister for Immigration and Population were instructed by the highest authorities to immediately leave the same day for cyclone-hit areas in the Ayeyawaddy Division.
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Embassy of the Union of Myanmar in Pretoria, South Africa