MYANMAR: Public health "catastrophe" looms
BANGKOK, 11 May 2008 (IRIN) - An estimated 1.5 million people in Myanmar are on the brink of a "massive public health catastrophe," the British charity Oxfam warned this weekend, as reports say desperate survivors of cyclone Nargis pour out of the Irrawaddy Delta into regional towns in search of water, food and other forms of help.
The dire warning – and a plea for greater international access to the area – came after the United Nations and non-governmental organisations issued a flash appeal for US$187 million.
"The sheer magnitude of the devastation is such that international assistance is essential for ensuring a rapid and coherent response," John Holmes, the UN-under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in New York where the appeal was launched on 9 May. "If we do not act now, and if we do not act fast, more lives will be lost."
Two days later in Bangkok, Sarah Ireland, Oxfam's regional director, warned that Myanmar was facing a "perfect storm" of conditions that could lead to an outbreak of waterborne diseases, following the tropical cyclone and tidal wave that killed at least 28,000 people, according to state media.
"The ponds are full of dead bodies, the wells have saline water, and even things like a bucket are in scarce supply," Ireland said.
She appealed for authorities to permit Oxfam, which is experienced in dealing with such emergencies, and other international humanitarian agencies to send technical and health experts to help prevent disease outbreaks.
The World Health Organization also released a risk assessment which, as well as waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid, warns of an increased threat of malaria and dengue fever, as receding floods will increase the number of breeding sites for mosquitos. The WHO’s latest update reports cases of diarrhoea and dysentery in the affected areas.
Immediately after the cyclone, Myanmar's government appealed for international help with the catastrophe.
But so far the authorities have refused to allow most foreign aid workers to enter the country, saying it preferred to receive supplies that the army, and the Myanmar Red Cross, which has close ties to the regime, can distribute themselves.
"Currently Myanmar has prioritised receiving emergency relief provisions and making strenuous effort of delivering it with its own labour to the affected areas," the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on 9 May. "Myanmar is not in a position to receive rescue and information teams from foreign countries at the moment," it added.
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Theme(s): (IRIN) Early Warning, (IRIN) Health & Nutrition, (IRIN) Natural Disasters, (IRIN) Refugees/IDPs
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Copyright © IRIN 2008
This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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