When Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (formerly Burma) on May 3, 2008, the world held its breath.

As word came in that hundreds of thousands of Burmese had been swept out of their homes by extreme winds and a tidal wave, that tens of thousands were dead or missing, Canadians responded quickly to a call for aid.

Your contributions, whether pledged on line or by telephone in those early days, helped the Agency as it assumed a leadership role in providing shelter, blankets, and safety to despairing families.

Our trained team was already in place in Myanmar, and quickly organized the distribution of emergency aid that arrived by airlift and by truck convoy.

Shelter Equals Survival

Whole villages in the Irrawaddy Delta were wiped off the map by the cyclone. The survivors needed protection from heavy rains, a safe place to sleep, a temporary home while they fought off hunger and disease and tried to reconnect with family.

The news media were reporting that the Myanmar government restricted access by aid organizations to the disaster zones. But that was not the whole story.

The UNHCR had a staff of 70 people and more than two decades of involvement in Myanmar when the cyclone hit. Within days, the local office had distributed $50,000 in tarps, canned food and biscuits to feed and shelter people in the devastated areas. We were assigned the role of lead agency in the drive to provide a quarter of a million Burmese with shelter.

The first UN Refugee Agency land convoy from Thailand drove straight through a downpour for two days with supplies to shelter 10,000 people. Airlifts brought in many tonnes of plastic sheets, blankets, kitchen sets and mosquito nets.

With your support, UNHCR continues to help the Myanmar people rebuild their homes, their villages and their lives.

TOP: © UNHCR