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Mai Hosoi, ERTeam member in Myanmar 
Children shelter under UNHCR sheeting in Yangon, Myanmar, in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone. © UNHCR
In recent months, Emergency Response Teams were sent to Myanmar, to Sichuan province in China after an earthquake, to South Ossetia in Georgia where fighting has forced millions to leave their homes and most recently rushed to the front lines of the human tragedy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
We ned YOU on our team!
In crisis situations, our Emergency Response Team moves into action immediately, working around the clock to save vulnerable lives. Please join us and help our dedicated team carry on their essential work.
To join today, visit the ERT page today to find out more.
The cyclone that struck Myanmar in May 2008 affected 2.4 million people. Nearly 140,000 were killed or are still missing. The appeal for Myanmar raised more than 8 million dollars worldwide and allowed the UN Refugee Agency to deliver 430 tons of shelter and non food relief items. Today, UNHCR is still providing food and shelter to refugees, mostly widows and orphans, who lost family during the cyclone.
Interview with Mai Hosoi, ERTeam member in Myanmar
Tell us about your experience in Myanmar.
MH: It was quite a unique experience to arrive so early in the emergency phase (only about a week after Cyclone Nargis hit the country). The people affected remained calm and tolerant despite the chaos. It’s great to see the generosity of people around the world contributing to the victims of the cyclone and enabling us in the ERTeam to do our job on the ground. This also helped our morale.
Why did you join the Emergency Response Team?
MH: Well, this goes back to 1995 when in Japan, in my hometown, Kobe, we were victims of an earthquake. Suddenly, I found myself living in a camp-like situation. We lived for two months without fuel for cooking. I decided then that it would be rewarding to help people who are forced to flee to rebuild their lives. This was my starting point and how I entered the humanitarian world.
Where do you work when you are not deployed to the field?
MH: I am an External Affairs officer in charge of countries like Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Before that, I helped UN organizations access funds in the early stages of an emergency. That experience was beneficial when I was deployed to Myanmar.
What was the worst experience in Myanmar?
MH: The first weeks were frustrating because the Myanmar authorities would not allow foreign humanitarian workers to enter the affected areas. Most of the victims sought refuge in monasteries or churches. Now, the emergency phase is almost over and it is time to start giving people the ability to earn a livelihood, fish nets for instance, so they can get back to some kind of normality.
Dear friend, In my first year here, I have found Canadians, without flattery, to be extremely generous and welcoming, both as individuals and through the support your government and non-governmental institutions give to refugees. You hear this often, but it bears repeating. We are incredibly fortunate to be living in a blessed country like Canada in these trying times. I understand that it is difficult for most Canadians to imagine how life can be hard for a refugee; a stateless person, with no government to speak for him. A majority of refugees are women and children, living in uncertainty in a no-man’s land, uprooted from their home country. That is when UNHCR steps in. We take on the enormous responsibility to protect and shelter refugees as well as people forced to flee their homes within their own borders. So it means a lot when people like you support us. Working with refugees is demanding but also rewarding. I have lived in dozens of countries torn by violent conflict. Like many of UNHCR’s workers, I, too, have faced hardship and physical danger. But we see the resilience and patience of those we are helping. Together we can surmount the challenges of responding to the needy. Canadians open their hearts every year to the refugees who come to settle here. But you also show your concern for those overseas who need our help and protection. I thank you profoundly for caring and hope you enjoy reading the newsletter. Abraham ABRAHAM
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