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More than a million still waiting for aid
By From AngliCORD reports
June 5, 2008

AID: In the worst affected regions of Burma, church agencies are still delivering supplies by boat. Photo: CPM

RECOVERY: Villagers in an isolated village work to pump salt water out of a contaminated drinking pond. Photo: CPM

A month after the devastating Cyclone Nargis, aid agencies believe more than half the 2.4 million people affected are yet to received any official aid.

While international aid shipments trickle in, an Australian Anglican just back from Burma, has told how churches are playing a critical role in reaching desperate communities.

AngliCORD relief worker Brad Chapman returned from Yangon June 4 after a visit to report on the work of local organisations supported by AngliCORD's emergency appeal. Based in Melbourne, AngliCORD works as an overseas relief and development agency of the Anglican Church in Australia.

"While foreign agencies are frustrated in their requests for greater access to the affected areas, local partners are quietly but effectively going about the business of delivering relief to those who need it," Brad Chapman said.

Immediately after the 2 May cyclone, local churches and community organisations began organising their own relief efforts.

Purchasing supplies of rice and tarpaulins in Yangon, they were able to reach stranded survivors using boats and canoes.

With support from AngliCORD and other members of ACT International alliance, these local, church-based organisations have reached more than 100,000 people with clean water, food, and other relief.

With local stocks in Yangon running low and increasing food costs in the country, these organisations are now working with the UN World Food Program on the distribution of food aid.

Funds are already getting through and making a difference, Brad Chapman said. "Despite their hardship, local leaders asked me to convey their gratitude to Australians for our prayers and our donations which are being felt on the ground", he said.

As part of their initial response, local Council of Churches members established 21 relief camps for survivors who had lost their homes. When the camps were handed over to the government they were caring for over 6,000 people.

Churches have also acted quickly to ensure the safety of orphaned children.

Each local organisation is working in its own geographic area but all are clear in their humanitarian duty to provide assistance without discrimination. Boundaries of ethnicity and religious belief have been transcended by a shared understanding that aid is given for the people who need it most.

While more than 100,000 people have been reached so far, no-one is stopping to celebrate this achievement. The grave task of making sure supplies of food, water, shelter and medicine make it to the people who need them is consuming all of the energy of local leaders.

"The cyclone has created many heroes," Brad Chapman said.

"One doctor thanked me for my concern when I expressed how fatigued he appeared, but assured me that he could not stop working as long as there remained people to be helped".