Sector Status

Logistics

The World Food Program (WFP) is the cluster lead, supported by the UNJLC. UN says there is a pressing need for funding for the logistics operation. Only US$20 million of the US$50 million required have been received. These funds are needed to extend the outreach of the operation from the hubs to those villages that have yet to receive assistance. (OCHA, June 6) The cluster is 12 percent funded in the Flash Appeal according to FTS. (OCHA, June 9)

Yangon Airport remains the primary hub. The template for all procedures is at http://www.logcluster.org/mm08a. Bangkok’s former international Don Muang Airport (DMK) is the main staging area for foreign relief with daily flights to Yangon. Air capacity is 190 MT a day. (LC, June 6) Total flights from DMK from May 24 – June 9 = 39. The cluster is reducing the asset capacity out of DMK to one IL76 and one AN 12. (LC, June 10)

The logistics cluster is now operating a 4,000 square meter (sqm) inter-agency warehouse in Yangon, a fleet of 33 trucks with four barges with four barge pushers (total capacity = 2,650 tons), and three boats (total capacity = 1,250 MT). 1 jetty identified in Yangon. Transit time to the delta by barge is between three and six days. WFP says it has a fleet of some 30 boats to help with deliveries in the delta. (IRIN, June 3) Smaller boats with a capacity of 1-5 MTs are being sought for use in the delta. (LC, June 5)

The first WFP helicopter, which arrived in Yangon on May 22, began deliveries to the delta on June 2. Only seven government helicopters are operating in the delta. (AP, June 3) The four remaining WFP helicopters approved by the government arrived in Yangon Tuesday (June 10) from Bangkok, bringing the total to ten helicopters (1 MI8, 2 MI8 T, 5 MI8 MTV and 2 Puma). Meanwhile, at least four helicopters continued operations in Bogalay and Labutta. (LC, June 10)

Total cargo dispatched by the cluster from May 20 to June 10 is 2,400 MT. Cluster hopes to reach 3,000 MT by the end of the week. (LC, June 10)

1 boat for Mawlanyaingyun will leave today. 1 barge left Monday for Pathein and will continue to Labutta afterwards. 1 boat left today for Bogalay. (LC, June 10)

The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) coordinated by the TCG was launched Monday (June 9). The assessment involves humanitarian needs and damage components: a Village Tract Assessment (VTA) and a Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA), for which field surveys in the 30 affected townships are planned between June 10-19. (OCHA, June 9)

UN agencies report no major issues with obtaining visas for their staff, with 179 visas issued as of June 9. International NGOs are experiencing greater difficulties in entering the country. (OCHA, June 9)

Logistics hubs storage updates:

Mawlanyaingyun: 2,000 tons available in MAPT w/h.

Labutta: 7 Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) 1,120 sqm. (240sqm for UNICEF, 560 for WFP, 380 available)

Pathein: 1200 sqm under negotiation.

Pyapon: 2,160 sqm operational (9 units). 240 sqm dedicated to CARE, 240 to MSF-S, 240 to WFP and 240 to WVI.

Bogalay: 1,680 sqm operational (7 units). (240 sqm dedicated to UNICEF, 240 to WFP and 240 to IOM and 240 to ACF.) (LC, June 10)

World Vision reported the following traveling times:

Yangon – Kyaiklat: 3 hours by road

Yangon – Bogalay: 4.5 hours by road

Yangon – Pyapon: 3.5 hours by road

Pyapon –Mawlamyinegyun: 1.5 hours from Pyapon by river by boat

Food

WFP appealed for US$69.5 million to provide a complete food basket to 750,000 people, for a total of 380 MT a day, but now estimates that 1.5 million require food assistance. (IRIN, June 3). So far WFP has US$21.3 million, including US$5 million from the CERF, and has fed 575,000 people with a two-week ration of rice. WFP requires US$41.4 million for its immediate emergency food assistance program. The funding requirement is urgent as the imminent importation of food commodities is likely to double the cost of providing food assistance. The cluster is 21 percent funded in the Flash Appeal, according to the FTS. (OCHA, June 9)

The UN says that survivors in the delta are likely to need food assistance for as long as a year. (IRIN, June 9)

Total food distributed by all partners in May was 5,206 MT. WFP and its implementing partners have distributed 5,816 MT of food to the affected areas to date. WFP is distributing cash in lieu of food in certain areas. 16,448 beneficiaries have received a cash allocation. (OCHA, June 9)

WFP initially planned to procure food commodities locally to the extent possible and then import commodities to avoid disruption to local markets. The Government has now agreed to permit importation of rice, despite being initially opposed. (OCHA, June 9)

WFP expects a pipeline break by the end of July due to two factors: 1) Resource availability. WFP received confirmation for about 35 percent or US$25 million in contribution against the total requirement of US$70 million. Although it forecasts that 60 percent will be covered eventually, the immediate availability of cash may be a problem. 2) In-country availability of rice. The total requirement for the 6-month operation is 46,500 tons, WFP would likely need to import up to half of this to source without undue impact on the domestic market. Delay or denial by the GoM will result in a pipeline break. (OCHA, June 4)

WFP says that along with its partners, it can distribute some 400 MT of food a day. (IRIN, June 3) The Cluster estimates the monthly food requirement at 8,933 tons. WFP plans to cover 11 townships in Irrawaddy and eight in Yangon. WFP has two sub-offices in Labutta and Bogalay.

WFP emergency food assistance rations are composed of 400g of rice, 100g of pulses, 30g of vegetable oil and 5g of iodized salt per day per person. The monthly food basket for a family of five has 60 kg of rice, 15 kg of pulses, 4.5 kg of oil and .75 kg of iodizes salt.

Shelter

UNHCR leads the shelter cluster and is supporting the IFRC, which was designated the in-country cluster lead. UNHCR is asking for US$6 million from the Flash Appeal to help 250,000 people with shelter materials within the next six weeks. The cluster has so far received funds of US$14,750,000 from the Flash Appeal and IFRC Appeal. (OCHA, June 4)

IFRC said at least 1.5 million people remain homeless in the delta. The UN estimates that until recently around 260,000 people had been in temporary camps in 14 townships. (IRIN, June 3) There have been reports of the government evicting people from some camps. According to state media, Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein denied reports of forced relocation and said the government will support people living in relief camps and provide assistance for voluntary returns or resettlement. (OCHA, June 9)

In Labutta, all but three of the camps have now been closed. Previously 49 camps were in existence. Two new camps have been established in the outskirts of Labutta proper (they are called ‘the 3 mile’ and ‘the 5 mile’ camps on account of their distance from the center of Labutta proper). The other camp is in the football ground in the town center. The current camp population has declined from over 40,000 to a current estimate of 11,000, with 3,000 in the 5 mile camp, 6,000 in the 3 mile camp and 2,000 in the football stadium. Around 30,000 people have moved back to their own or other people’s villages from Labutta proper in the last two weeks. (UNICEF, June 10)

The government has established 12 ‘frontier' sites in villages in Labutta. These are intended as both a transit point for people returning to their villages from camps and as base to which villager's can return to receive food and other essential supplies when needed. (UNICEF, June 10)

In Myaung Mya, the government has also been transferring people out of the camps, mostly to Labutta. The team reports that people are being asked whether or not they wish to leave Myaung Mya, and that those leaving are doing so voluntarily. From around 13,000 the present camp population is estimated to be around 5,000 in the camps which are officially recognized by the local authorities. There are also around 700 people in 3 unrecognized camps. The number of official camps has fallen from 27 to 7. (UNICEF, June 10)

In Pathein, which was unaffected by the cyclone all the camps have been closed. The 3,000 people formerly living in the camps have been returned to their villages, mostly in Labutta, since the weekend. In Mawlamyinegyun proper, all the camps have been closed, with the displaced returning to their villages. In Pyapon proper, all the camps have been closed. In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone there were around 37 camps, hosting around 17,000 people. However, in Pyapon the camps were closed steadily throughout May, rather than hurriedly at the end of the month, as in several other towns. In Bogalay proper, the official camp was closed, although some people continue to live in the unofficial camps. Almost all camps in Yangon Division have now been closed. The living conditions for those who return to their villages are frequently very poor. (UNICEF, June 10)

Shelter kits have been renamed: Family kit is now called Relief kit. Shelter kit is now Tarp Kit and Hamlet kit is now Community tool kit. The cluster has standardized three types of kits. The first is a tool for a group of 10 or more households. The second is a basic building material kit, one per household. The third is a Non-Food Items (NFI) kit. 102,000 Household Tarp Kits, 13,000 Community Tool Kits and 6,300 Household Relief Kits have been distributed so far. (OCHA, June 4)

Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) leads the health cluster, which comprises 22 international NGOs and UN agencies. Merlin is cluster co-lead. Cluster projects amount to US$4 million. WHO is calling for US$28 million to fund a six-month action plan to rebuild the health care system. At least 50 percent of health structures were damaged or destroyed. The Health cluster is 77 percent funded in the Flash Appeal. (OCHA, June 9)

Cluster sub-groups have been formed on HIV/AIDS, Early Recovery and psychosocial support. The cluster has established three operations centers in Pathein, Labutta and Bogalay. WHO launched the Early Warning Disease Surveillance System known as the Early Warning Reporting System (EWARS).

WHO said many TB patients were forced to stop treatment because of the cyclone, triggering fears of drug-resistant strains spreading. Myanmar had 83,000 cases of the disease in 2006 causing 6,000 deaths. WHO said it will travel to affected areas to track down patients who have lost access to drugs since the storm hit. (Reuters, June 10)

International medical teams have been deployed as follows: China-Kungyangon; Thailand (two teams) – Mawlamyinegyun; Bangladesh – Wakema; India – Bogalay and Pyapon; Singapore- Twantay; Philippines- Pathein; Japan- Labutta; Indonesia - Kawhmu. Medical teams from more than 70 countries are expected to arrive in the next 3-6 months.

The Health Cluster Joint Plan of Action objectives are: Assess and monitor health needs and strengthen disease surveillance; Respond to outbreaks and other health threats, strengthen disease control and fill critical health care gaps; Strengthen and repair systems and build capacity; Engage partners to coordinate a joint health sector response. (OCHA, June 2)

Nutrition

About one-third of Myanmar’s children are malnourished, including 30,000 under five who were acutely malnourished before Nargis. Save the Children says several thousand may die in the next two weeks due to a lack of food. UNICEF found in 2003 40 percent under five were chronically malnourished and ten percent were acutely malnourished. (IFRC, June 5)

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)