AMURT is cited as one of the agencies collecting contributions to help those affected by the cyclone in Myanmar. The list is from InterAction, a coalition of more than 150 humanitarian agencies providing relief, refugee assistance and sustainable programs worldwide.
Message received from Dr. Pashupati: "As you have heard, over 10,000 people have been killed in a cyclone in Burma (Myanmar) and 100,000 left homeless. AMURT is sending our best-trained worker, Dada Nirmalkrsnananda, to the scene immediately, to organize our relief response.
We need your funds and your fund-raising efforts to make this a success, but it already is a success with dada's arrival there."
For more information amurt.net
The video of AMURT Jogyakarta's previous relief work in Indonesia has been uploaded to YouTube. Check the following links: part 1 part 2 part 3
BURMA CYCLONE RELIEF
From Dada Unmantranandaji, Coordinator for Burma Relief Effort
Mayanmar (Burma) was hit hard by cyclone Nargis on May 3. It is the
worst natural disaster in East Asia since the tsunami of 2004. Most of
the 38,500 confirmed deaths occurred in the southern Irrawaddy river
delta region. Unofficial estimates put the deaths at 128.000+. The
majority of people were killed by a tidal surge 12 ft (3.5m) high.
Approximately 2,5 million people who have been affected with many
loosing their homes. The old capital Rangoon received enormous damage
to its infrastructure but is coming back online as the government has
concentrated their relief efforts there. In the southern delta area
things are still unfathomable dire. Most of the
survivors, who still did not receive any or only limited aid, are now
threatened with disease.
AMURT and AMURTEL has been active this past 2 weeks in Burma relief
work. After the initial chaos where families took shelter in one of
our battered schools we started assessments with funds that we were
able to get in right away. We found innumerable villages completely
neglected and rotting corpses everywhere. This week we commenced distribution of
food in earnest. Just yesterday May 15, our coordinator and 20 local
volunteers distributed food supplies to 380 families, around 3200
people, from a village located in the Delta area near Konyangon town,
90 Km from Yangon. They distributed vouchers to the families to
collect the food packages at our distribution point. The packages
contained food to last for one week containing rice (carbohydrates)
beans (proteins) raw sugar (rich in mineral). Our tried and tested
system of making assessments on a family by family basis effectively
identifies the most vulnerable sectors of the society.
We have a couple of more experts scheduled to arrive in Burma in the
coming days including a team of doctors from Malaysia. We are getting
visas despite the bad press. We have also been able to get
the money inside Burma fairly fast.
We have managed to get a start up fund from one of our Aceh donors and
a few AMURT and AMURTEL chapters around the world are also responding.
There is so much work to do. Apart from just food and medicine to save
people's lives this month we want to help these people rebuild their
lives. We have been in Burma for some years and will continue to be
there for them in this crisis. We are therefore appealing for funds
for this long term effort.
We have put up a resource site for AMURT & AMURTEL at
www.resources.amurt.net where after signing up you will be able to get
more materials and info you may need for the collection including
sample flyers, photos etc.
I am here in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, our relief logistical and
administration HQ for South East Asia, working on the communication
and international coordination for the Burma relief response on behalf of
the AMURT global Office. Please do contact me for any support or info
you need.
I thank you for your consideration.
Yours brotherly
Unmantrananda
