Assessment confirms cyclone survivors face acute shortage of food, water

Mizzima News

New Delhi – The United Nations today said that more than half the survivors of Cyclone Nargis in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon Division are still starving without any food assistance.

Only 45 per cent of the survivors received food through humanitarian assistance, while the rest were forced to rely on their own efforts, according to an initial post-disaster assessment conducted by the UN, members of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, and representatives of the government.

"Considering that 42 per cent of all food stocks were destroyed, continued food assistance is required," the UN said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The UN citing the findings of the Village Tract Assessment (VTA) said more than half or 60 per cent of survivors also lacked adequate supply of clean water, as ponds were polluted.

"Humanitarian relief efforts should continue to cover yet to be met needs," the UN said.

Cyclone Nargis, which lashed military-ruled Burma's southwestern coastal region on May 2 and May 3, left more than 138,000 dead and thousands missing.

According to the UN, the lives of more than 2.4 million people have been devastated by the cyclone that lashed Burma's main rice producing Irrawaddy division.

According to the assessment, sixty per cent of village leaders expressed concern over the lack of adequate seeds for the next planting season, while 78 per cent of households said they were left jobless as they had no access to credit that would help them get back to work in the fields.

Even though there has been no major outbreak of diseases, the findings of the assessment showed that 22 per cent of survivors suffered from psychological stress.

The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) is aimed at providing both international aid agencies and donor governments a credible, independent picture of the extent of the damage and the humanitarian relief efforts.

More than 300 people were involved in the first systematic analysis of the results of the disaster.

Besides the Village Tract Assessment, a full report which would include a tally of the economic and physical losses from the disaster, would be released in early July, the United Nations said.