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. 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. The cluster is reducing the asset capacity out of DMK to one IL76 and one AN 12. (LC, June 10)

The logistics cluster is 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)

A total of 3,019.41 MT of cargo has been dispatched from the cluster. (LC, June 13)

Helicopter operations continued with a total of 11 rotations out of Bogalay and Labutta Friday (June 13). A 300 MT boat arrived in Mawlanyaingyun and finished offloading. 2 other boats and 1 barge are currently loading. (LC, June 13)

Only seven government helicopters are operating in the delta. WFP now has 10 helicopters. To date, WFP helicopters have reached 26 locations that were previously not accessible for assistance, carrying 65 MT of food and 10 MT of non-food items including shelter materials, as well as assisting medical teams to reach the most remote areas. (OCHA, June 12)

The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment/PONJA launched on June 9 and deployment of assessment teams on June 10. 160 assessment personnel in 32 teams were dispatched to Yangon Division and 15 personnel from three hub coordination teams to Pathein, Bogalay and Pyapon on June 10. On June 11 35 personnel in 7 teams departed to villages in Yangon, 125 personnel in 25 teams departed for Irrawaddy Division and 10 personnel from two hub coordination teams left for Labutta and Wakema. The assessment involves: 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 12)

UN agencies report no major issues with obtaining visas, though in some cases delays of up to 10 days have been reported. Overall, 195 visas have been issued to UN staff involved in the ongoing operation as of June 10. International NGOs are experiencing greater difficulties, with visa requests in some cases pending for up to three weeks. (OCHA, June 12)

Logistics hubs storage updates:

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

Labutta: 7 Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) 1,840 sqm. (7 units) (240sqm for UNICEF, 560 for WFP)

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. 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 cluster is 21 percent funded in the Flash Appeal according to the FTS. (OCHA, June 12)

13,923 MT of WFP food assistance has been delivered to affected areas and 6,667 MT has been distributed. WFP’s cash transfer program in Yangon has reached 16,448 people. WFP estimates that it has reached approximately 596,000 beneficiaries with varying rations and cash assistance. Myanmar has asked WFP to halt the cash transfer program due to issues relating to currency exchange. (OCHA, June 12)

WFP expects a pipeline break by the end of July due to a lack of resources/funding and a shortage of in-country rice for its programs. The Government has now agreed to permit importation of rice, despite being initially opposed. (OCHA, June 9)

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. The cluster is 43% funded in the Flash Appeal according to the FTS. (OCHA, June 12)

IFRC said at least 1.5 million people remain homeless in the delta.

Reports from the field suggest that in low-lying areas the average family size is not five as previously presumed, but between two and three. This may in part be attributable to the high death-rate. (OCHA, June 12)

A sub-cluster has been established in Bogalay, in addition to the sub-cluster already in Labutta. (OCHA, June 12)

USAID/OFDA provided an additional 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting for delivery to affected areas. To date, USAID/OFDA and DOD have completed 151 airlifts of relief from Utapao to Yangon. (USAID, June 12)

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)

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). The first report based on the EWARS for disease surveillance reveals 685 cases of acute respiratory infection, 117 cases of bloody diarrhea and three cases of dengue fever. (WHO, June 11)

WHO says the EWAR and Surveillance system established in the aftermath of Nargis will be integrated in the national health care system. (WHO, June 13)

WHO says the most commonly reported illnesses are malaria, dengue, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections. WHO says that while a high number of dengue cases is normal for the region at this time of the year, greater numbers are expected given the conditions post-cyclone. (IRIN, June 12)

Dengue prevention and control activities will focus on eleven priority townships in the affected divisions as well as rural areas in the Irrawaddy. WHO has secured supplies and equipment for prevention and control of dengue worth around US$1.4 million, including US$30,000 from Danish Embassy in Thailand. (WHO, June 13)

MOH, WHO and UNICEF discussed the dengue Plan of Action and agreed that: Implementation will begin next week using WHO and UNICEF resources. Yangon division, where more cases occur, should get first priority. Eleven townships will be the priority townships for action. Three townships will be covered for surveillance and case management and 11 townships for larviciding. Rural areas in Irrawaddy division will be included since more than half the cases this year are from such areas. IEC materials focusing on the implementation on larviciding will be developed. The MOH unit for vector-borne disease control (VBDC) will conduct training on fogging and spraying in Pathein on June 19-20. VBDC and WHO drafted the guide for larviciding and calibrated the tool (teaspoon) for application of larvicide. (WHO, June 13)

WHO has provided psychotropic drugs in the WHO Essential Drugs list to all in need in the affected areas. (WHO, June 13)

WHO Regional Surveillance Officers report that there are adequate stocks of medicines in affected areas. Major risk factors seem to be a lack of clean water and of soap for hygiene. (WHO, June 12)

WHO said many TB patients were forced to stop treatment because of the cyclone, triggering fears of drug-resistant strains spreading. 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)

Three MoH and WHO teams are in the field to track TB patients, provide curative services as well as to assess the health situation, in Labutta and Bogalay. The teams will be following up on TB services, tracking TB patients, providing curative services as well as assessing the health situation. (WHO, June 13)

WHO and cluster partners will support development of comprehensive mental health services based on general duty medical officer training and nurses training that are taking place as part of the relief operations. (WHO, June 13)

International medical teams were deployed as follows: China-Kungyangon; Thailand – Mawlamyinegyun; Bangladesh – Wakema; India – Bogalay and Pyapon; Singapore- Twantay; Philippines- Pathein; Japan- Labutta; Indonesia - Kawhmu.

Government medical teams have treated more than 1600 patients in Pyapon, Labutta and Bogalay townships in the past two days according to state media reports. (WHO, June 13)

A senior Thai health ministry official said that foreign doctors have started leaving Myanmar as the junta was closing down many relief camps. The coordinator for the Thai medical team said that the junta told Thailand not to send a third team of medics. Doctors from India, Japan and the Philippines have reportedly already left as many camps were closed down. (Reuters, June 13)

WHO has established a Plan of Action for dengue prevention and control in affected areas. Objectives of the plan are to (a) reduce the risk and/or intensity of dengue transmission during the current transmission season; (b) suppress or contain local outbreaks; (c) minimize Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) case fatality rates; (d) strengthen national capacity for the prevention and control of DF/DHF. The estimated budget is US$695,000. WHO has established a technical working group to support implementation of the plan. Organizations with extensive community networks such as The Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, the MRCS and the Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation could play a key role. (WHO, June 13)

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 10 percent were acutely malnourished. (IFRC, June 5)

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

UNICEF leads the cluster and is appealing for US$8.2 million. The cluster is 115 percent funded (according to FTS). (OCHA, June 4)

A total of 50 water units are now in-country but only 10 have been deployed to the affected areas. (OCHA, June 9)

MRCS has provided 1500 plastic toilet pans as part of its sanitation initiatives. (WHO, June 13)

According to UNICEF, the southern village tracts have a highly dispersed population, and water transportation is unpractical. Service provision in these areas should insist on rainwater, point-of-use treatment systems, and hygiene materials, alongside pond rehabilitation. (UNICEF, June 10)

It is estimated that in rural areas in Pyapon around 90% of ponds, which are the main source of drinking water, are contaminated. (UNICEF, June 10)

The Cluster has finalized a 4-month initial response plan based on an assumption of 1.5 million affected people. The cluster’s goal is to provide three liters of drinking water and 10 liters of bathing and general purpose water per person per day, availability of soap for everyone, and 1 community trained hygiene promoter per 2,000 people. Within the first 60 days, it hopes to have one toilet per 100 people, with an eventual goal of one per 20. (OCHA, June 4)

Agencies have agreed to be WASH cluster focal points for each township. Irrawaddy Division: Bogalay (GAA), Dedaye (CESVI), Kyaiklat (MRCS/IFRC), Labutta (Merlin), Mawlamyinegyun (SC), Pyapon (CDA). Yangon Divison: Dala (AMI), Dagon (WV), Khawmu (UNICEF), Kungyangon (CDA), Seikgyikanaungto (AMI), Kyauktan (CDA), Hlaingtharyar (WV), Twantay (AMI).

Agriculture

The Flash Appeal includes US$10 million for agriculture. FAO was granted US$2 million from CERF for restoring food security in affected areas. The government estimates the costs of rehabilitation at US$243 million for agriculture and US$25 million for livestock. Donors have so far offered US$20 million. The cluster is currently 31 percent funded. (OCHA, June 6)

WFP says most farmers are still at least six months away from replacing their food stocks. WFP says it may have to import some food. (OCHA, June 9)

The UN says that farmers need a million gallons of diesel fuel to plant rice and ward off future food shortages. Donors have provided farmers with small power tillers to replace the hundreds of thousands of livestock used for plowing, however fuel is expensive and in short supply. Planting season in the delta is from June to July in the delta region. (BBC, June 13)

USDA has conducted a post-flood assessment which indicates that as of May 30 flood waters have receded over a sizable area (300,000 hectares total recovery; 490,000 hectares improved since May 5th). However, a month after the cyclone approximately 1.40 million hectares or 80 percent of the original inundated area is still affected by some degree of flooding.

USDA currently estimates 2008/09 Burma rice production at 9.4 million tons (milled basis), down 0.6 million from last month and 12 percent from last year. Harvested area is estimated at 6.4 million hectares, down 10 percent from last year. In addition, USDA estimates that approximately 1 million tons of rice (milled rice equivalent) from the 2007/08 harvest was lost or destroyed by the storm surge and subsequent flooding. (USDA, June 10)

FAO says cyclone affected 60 percent of the 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of rice paddy in the five disaster areas, but only 16 percent was seriously damaged. (Reuters, June 4)

Nargis destroyed about 2.3 percent of Myanmar’s annual rice production and threatens to disrupt the main November harvest in the rice-bowl delta if planting is not finished by the end of July. FAO says there are enough seeds for planting, but fertilizer and tools are still needed. About 20 percent of the delta’s paddy land may need rehabilitation and pumps for flushing out sea water.

FAO launched a Web site offering data on agriculture in Myanmar.

Link: http://www.fao.org/nr/myanmar/myan-home_en.htm

Protection of children and women

UNICEF and Save the Children (SC) lead the protection cluster. The cluster is currently 25 percent funded (according to FTS). (OCHA, June 6)

A Cluster response plan is being finalized, but so far emphasis has been on registering separated children with the hope of finding their families and providing family/community care rather than sending children to orphanages. Other priority issues include the prevention of sexual abuse, exploitation and secondary separations – adolescents leaving their families to look for work.

48 Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) are currently functioning in Yangon Division, with a further 24 CFSs Irrawaddy Division. Some CFSs have been closed due to the closure of temporary settlements. A revised Code of Conduct to Prevent Any Form of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation has been circulated in Burmese and English and has been posted on the HIC website. (OCHA, June 12)

UNICEF says there are at least 2,000 orphans or are missing parents. CSM says that a lack of surnames is complicating efforts to reunite families. (CSM, June 9)

Agencies have assumed Cluster focal point responsibilities: Labutta (UNICEF); Bogalay & Piyapon (World Vision); Pathein & Malamyinegyung (SC). Child Focus Network is the national NGO focal point.

Education

UNICEF leads the education cluster. The education cluster is currently 0 percent funded (according to FTS). (OCHA, June 6)

Education is highly valued in Myanmar society and UNICEF says 85 percent of education buildings in affected areas were damaged or destroyed, including 4,000 basic schools, affecting 1.1 million children.

In Yangon (4 townships) 152 primary schools roofs have been repaired using 14,636 roofing sheets. 46 temporary primary schools have been set up benefiting 7,248 children and 280 teachers. Essential learning packages consisting of items such as exercise books, pencils, erasers, a ruler and school bag, have been provided for 31,495 children and 118 Schools-in-a-Box and 74 Recreation Kits have also been distributed. (OCHA, June 12)

In Irrawaddy (7 townships) 256 primary schools roofs have been repaired using 29,330 roofing sheets and tarpaulin sheets. 98 tents have been provided to Labutta and Bogalay townships for primary schooling. Essential learning packages have been provided for 267 children, and 267 Schools-in-a-Box and 267 Recreation Kits have also been distributed, potentially benefiting 21,360 children. (OCHA, June 12)

11,264 roofing sheets will be distributed in Yangon townships for the establishment of 512 Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) along with 1,250 tarpaulins/plastic sheeting. 79,266 roofing sheets will be distributed in Irrawaddy townships for the establishment of 3,603 Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) along with 8,750 tarpaulins/plastic sheeting. (OCHA, June 12)

While most schools reopened June 2, UNICEF and the Ministry of Education (MoE) are working to reopen others in worst affected areas by July. UNICEF and MoE have been distributing school construction kits, school supplies and learning materials. UNICEF is also distributing early child development kits and supporting reading initiatives for kids who are not in school. MoE says there is a surplus of teachers.

Telecommunication

The Emergency Telecommunications cluster is currently reviewing its funding requirements. The Emergency Telecommunications cluster is 73% funded in the Flash Appeal. (OCHA, June 9)

WFP and UNICEF provide technical support to the humanitarian community in Bangkok and Yangon, and in sub-offices and logistics centers in Labutta, Bogalay, Pyapon Mawlamgyun, and Pathein. UNICEF installed an IPSTAR system in Labutta.

Emergency telecommunications equipment has been held at customs for more than three weeks. Release of the equipment has been approved by the Government, but clearance is pending. Restrictions on official import of telecommunications equipment remain in place. (OCHA, June 12)

Installation of an emergency telecommunications centre in Yangon is expected to begin this week. Equipment is required for the humanitarian hubs in the Delta. (OCHA, June 12)

Myanmar’s government bans the import of communications equipment, but has offered to sell CDMA SIM cards and phones at a high price to responders with a limit of 10 per agency.

Early Recovery

UNDP leads the early recovery cluster. The Flash Appeal includes US$4.8 million for Early Recovery. The Early Recovery cluster is completely funded in the Flash Appeal according to the FTS. (OCHA, June 12)

The government has started health infrastructure rehabilitation under which health centers are being repaired with the help of local corporations. Most rural primary health centers have been destroyed and will need to be rebuilt. All township hospitals have survived and are being repaired. (WHO, June 9)

An Early Recovery Network has been established to mainstream early recovery into relevant clusters.

The cluster’s strategy focuses on organizing monsoon planting assistance for delta farming communities and providing a long-term recovery plan to begin within six weeks.