Myanmar: Tropical Cyclone Nargis Flash Appeal 2008

09 May 08

Background

On 2 and 3 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis swept through Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region and the country’s largest city, Yangon. The authorities have declared five states and divisions (Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin) to be disaster zones and the latest Government estimates put the death toll at 77 738, with 55 917 people still missing (based on 16 May figures). The UN now estimates that some 2.4 million are affected, of whom more than half (1.4 million) are in severely impacted areas requiring priority assistance. The affected regions were among those hit by the 2004 tsunami, although the impact of Cyclone Nargis is believed to be far more severe.

Access to many disaster-affected areas remains restricted, as certain parts of the delta can be reached only by boat. The critical needs of cyclone-affected households include food, water purification supplies and receptacles, sanitation facilities for temporary camps, shelter materials, fuel and essential medicines. The already serious food security situation in the country is expected to become far more acute in these areas, as Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar’s ‘food bowl’ in the southern part of the country.

On 19 May, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced that Myanmar had agreed to accept international aid agencies and medical workers from all ASEAN countries to help with the relief effort.

FAO’s response to Cyclone Nargis

FAO, in cooperation with its Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok and the FAO Representation in Myanmar, is coordinating closely with donors and partner organizations to ensure an effective response to the needs of cyclone-hit households and is participating in the daily Inter-agency Standing Committee Regional Cluster meetings on Myanmar. As the lead agency in the agriculture sector, FAO is an active participant in the UN cluster system, which has been activated in the context of this emergency.

A UN Flash Appeal was launched on 9 May 2008 and currently requests USD 201 million. FAO has appealed for USD 10 million within the Appeal to address the time-critical needs in the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors. This initial requirement will enable FAO to meet a small portion of the immediate requirements as the damage and needs for the three sectors are estimated at over USD 300 million, as reported by the Government of Myanmar.

With funding from its Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities and Technical Cooperation Programme, FAO is building the Organization’s response capacity in Myanmar and fielded its Regional Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordinator to the country from 10 to 19 May in order to support the Myanmar country office in joint UN and Government damage and needs assessments. As part of its Initiative on the Soaring Food Prices, FAO is monitoring the impact of Cyclone Nargis on soaring food prices, particularly in view of the fact that Myanmar was an exporter of rice. Discussions are ongoing to formulate initiatives to address the impact of rising food prices caused by the cyclone.

The areas worst hit by the cyclone are the most productive in Myanmar in terms of agriculture and fisheries, thus posing a risk to the food security of the entire country. Cyclone Nargis struck major fishing ports and landing sites, causing damage to boats and to essential infrastructure, such as fish landing and storage/processing facilities. In addition, although the second rice crop of 2007 was most likely harvested before the storm, it is believed that much of the harvest will have been lost or damaged as a result of the flooding. Soil salinity and a potential lack of rice seeds and other basic inputs are also expected to be key constraints to the resumption of agricultural production, with limited time available before the main rice planting season of 2008. The five affected states represent some 50 percent of poultry and 40 percent of pig production in the country, while animal traction remains the main form of ploughing fields and transport. As such, small-scale livestock owners are likely to require immediate assistance to treat injured/sick animals and feed surviving livestock.

Owing to the extreme urgency to meet the seasonal deadline for the Monsoon rice planting season in July, FAO has initiated procurement arrangements for rice seed, fertilizers, power tillers and draft animals as the most urgent inputs, while the input selection plan is being finalized based on needs assessment results. Other priority items include animal feed, veterinary medicines and supplies, vegetable seeds, agricultural tools and fishing gear. An FAO Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordination Unit (ERCU) is currently being established to manage the Organization’s response programme for Cyclone Nargis.