SITUATION OVERVIEW:

Overview based on feedback from field teams carrying out relief missions supported by Alumni Myanmar Institutes of Medicine Association (AMIMA) and from reliable sources, such as United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The media has moved on one month since disastrous Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta. Except for relief agencies in the field, the continuing plight of victims seems forgotten. It took three weeks and a visit from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for the ruling junta to allow some international aid and aid workers to enter the country. United States and French Navy offers of humanitarian assistance have been persistently refused. Aid from the air is carried by helicopters into the cyclone-damaged area and is limited to 12 helicopters, seven from the Myanmar military government and five from the UN. Otherwise, aid traverses primitive one-lane dirt roads and clogged narrow waterways. Myanmar navy boats and security checkpoints blanket the delta to watch over foreign aid workers. Taking pictures or videos are prohibited.

UN staff appears somewhat more successful in receiving visas than many International NGOs (INGOs), who still find visa processing cumbersome and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) required for each such group. For the above reasons, many frustrated foreign aid workers remain stuck in Rangoon, unable to reach the disaster area. As of June 6, OCHA reported that only 1.3 million beneficiaries out of an estimated 2.4 million people in the 40 most affected townships had been reached with some assistance, of very basic nature, below minimum requirements. A large number of remote villages had not received any support from the UN, INGOs, nor the Red Cross. Local NGOs and civil society groups made up of native Myanmar citizens have somewhat better freedom of travel. It is through such groups that AMIMA continues to provide relief efforts. Relief workers reaching remote villages report people have no place to live, nothing to eat, no fresh drinking water, drinking ponds and wells were contaminated by a ten foot tidal surge and animal carcasses, and additional human deaths occurred after the cyclone due to lack of timely relief work. Almost every family has lost members, mostly children and the feeble, but many orphans remain. Farm animals, such as water buffalos, and means of transportation, such as sampans, are gone. Monsoon season has started. Some refugee camps have been dispersed by the government. Some refugees have died in transit or searching for the nearest refugee camp. Survivors are shocked, grief stricken, withdrawn, angry or have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

 FUND RAISING:

Fund raising efforts continue wherever initiated worldwide by AMIMA. Checks are received in the USA at the AMIMA PO Box or through the Paypal Button at the AMIMA Website: www.burmesedoctors.org. Approximately $70,000 has been raised with funds staged to be used for the acute, intermediate and chronic phases as outlined in our objectives. The United Kingdom and Australia (BMAA - Burmese Medical Association Australia) branches keep their own books.

Balances can be viewed at their home pages. AMIMA members are requested to step up their efforts to solicit donations for this humanitarian work as the media frenzy has moved to other stories, leaving the suffering people of the Myanmar cyclone to die alone, silent, and out of sight.

FIELD ACTIVITIES:

1. Myanmar Medical Association (MMA)

The Myanmar Medical Association is a local NGO (mmacentral.org), which has received $20,000 from AMIMA. An acknowledgement receipt letter from MMA can be viewed at the home page. Professor U Hla Myint is the President and Professor U Aung Khin is the General Secretary of the "Health Care Volunteer Group." Its teams have gone out on many relief and medical missions to the Irrawaddy and Rangoon areas. Photos can be viewed at the home page. $8000 was spent on medicine and medical kits for the Irrawaddy division and $2000 for the Rangoon division. An additional $8000 was spent on food assistance and $2000 on water purification support. A representative from Australia BMAA (a Burmese physician) is presently in Burma witnessing activities and accompanies MMA teams.

2. NGO of U Kyaw Thu and Daw Shwe Zee Kwet

Former Burmese actor U Kyaw Thu has been an activist and a humanitarian leader since 2001. Previously he had three projects ongoing. Free Funeral Service Society (FFSS), Free Thukha Clinic and Happy Haven Humanitarian Project (HHPP) for HIV orphans. His local NGO is extremely efficient and well organized. With the Nargis disaster, his team shifted to concentrate on relief work. Everyday they send out truck loads of relief material to the delta area. Because of these activities, U Kyaw Thu is on a government watch list and not allowed to travel out of Rangoon. A representative from Australia BMAA (a Burmese physician) has accompanied U Kyaw Thu's relief teams and witnessed their activities. Due to his praise for their relief effort, AMIMA has contributed $5000 to U Kyaw Thu's relief work.

3. Myanmar/Burma Emergency Aid Network (MBEAN)

MBEAN has been on the ground since May 9, 2008 and has received $8000 from AMIMA. It has five field teams and a central team. They purchase supplies locally and distribute food. Lately, they have been distributing supplies that enable victims to get back to work, such as fishing nets and hand tillers. They have been pumping salt water out of drinking ponds and wells with the use of diesel powered Kubota pumps. Pictures of their activities can be viewed at www.BurmaRelief.org. Since most of their volunteers are Burmese graduate students from overseas universities, some of which now have left, they are recruiting local volunteers.

4. Better Burmese Health Care (BBHC):

BBHC (www.betterburmesehealthcare.com) is a 501( c) 3 organization non-profit organization based in New York. Dr. Jalin arrived in Myanmar May 17, 2008 and leads an established clinic staff in South and North Dagon Townships providing free medical care. She had gone to Daydaye area mostly for relief work and medical missions through mobile clinics. In her opinion, medical missions to some areas are no longer required. She is exploring the possibility of developing a model village by micro-financing, paying villagers for their work, and paying villagers to help rebuild their own villages. This group has received 5 million kyats from BMAA. Interval updates can be found at www.betterburmesehealthcare.com. Dr. Jalin returned to the United States by June 9, 2008 and a full report is awaited.

5. Myanmar Dental Association:

Myanmar Dental Association, a local NGO has been providing free dental healthcare and volunteer distribution of food and relief materials in the Irrawaddy Division. $3000 was provided by AMIMA in support of their activities.

FUTURE ACTIVITES AND PLANS:

Donor and volunteer will soon become a common problem. Infectious disease outbreaks loom. After the initial relief effort, the rebuilding effort will be more daunting and prolonged. There is an urgent need for early recovery efforts, particularly in the agricultural sector. Timely assistance now will help feed the population in the coming months and greatly reduce future human and financial costs. Perhaps the cluster approach by the UN may be of some guidance in planning future activities; but, we will not deviate from the initial cyclone relief objectives laid out by AMIMA which can be read at out home page www.burmesedoctors.org. The UN has identified eleven cluster areas in need of address: emergency shelter, food assistance, health, early recovery, logistics, nutrition, water sanitation, education, telecommunication, protection and agriculture. Besides meeting present needs, AMIMA is studying rebuilding homes and supporting orphans.

To this end, AMIMA's humanitarian work in Myanmar requires continued financial support. Please spread the news about our activities on behalf of suffering people. Visit www.burmesedoctors.org for updated cyclone relief news and ways to donate. In the UK please contact the regional coordinator. Dr. Shwe Zin Tun (szintun@aol.com) and for Australia please contact Dr. Christine Tan (Christine.tan@bigpond.com).

Thank you all very much.

Sincerely,

AMIMA Team