Weeks after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, most of the affected people still lack food, clean water, and basic medical services. Over seven million people have been hit hard by the cyclone, and government restrictions on aid haven't helped very much.
Despite the limitations, many organizations already have people on the ground in Myanmar's affected areas. They can't act alone, though - they need your help. Please click on one or more of the websites listed below to do your share for the people of Myanmar.
Donate freely to one of the organizations listed below, and help those who are risking their lives to help others.
Foundation for the People of Burma aims to provide aid to Burmese people in need, whatever their ethnic background or religious belief. FPB has more than 70 volunteers in Rangoon, organized into teams. Each team member leans on their existing social networks to ensure an uninterrupted supply of materials for rebuilding communities.
Giving Children Hope describes itself as "a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty (domestically and abroad) through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy." Contributions to GCH's Myanmar efforts will be channeled through its partners on the ground.
Donations to GlobalGiving's fund will be allocated to charitable organizations already on the ground in Myanmar: IDE, Save the Children, IMC and CHF International.
HOPE International Development Agency supports people in developing countries with education and materials, helping them sustain themselves through traditional methods. HOPE is registered in Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The ICRC will work with the Myanmar Red Cross, mobilizing six foreign and 90 local staff (with more hopefully on the way). ICRC will focus on detention areas affected by Cyclone Nargis.
IDE provides tools and education to help poor farmers escape the cycle of poverty. IDE's operations in Myanmar are well-placed throughout the cyclone-affected districts.
The IFRC has brought in three planes with 14 metric tons of shelter material. 17,000 local Myanmar Red Cross volunteers are helping the IFRC to distribute supplies. The IFRC’s overall efforts have supported 220,000 affected people.
The International Rescue Committee provides aid to victims of war, disaster, and political oppression. It is currently well-placed to deal with an expected outbreak of water-borne diseases in affected areas in Myanmar. The Committee's sanitation and logistics experts are either on the ground or are awaiting deployment.
The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) was founded by Dr. Cynthia Maung to provide free health care for Burmese refugees in Thailand. MTC's EAT plans to coordinate with local organizations to distribute food, water, shelter, and medicine to those most in need. EAT currently has 40 people on the ground.
Malteser International is the worldwide relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta. It runs humanitarian projects in over 30 countries. A medical team from Malteser International has been deployed in the town of Labutta to operate a health center there, as the local hospital was obliterated in the cyclone.
