An early assessment
[In response to a call from our partner in Burma, we urgently raised funds to send to the victims of Cyclone Nargis]
At this point, it is hard to give an accurate estimate. But my experienced guess is that:
- 50% will be used to buy rice, noodles, and dried fish.
- 30% will be used for emergency medical relief such as vaccinations and medicines.
- 20% will be used to get our team to the people in need by car, boat etc.
Due to the shortage of supplies, the price of food and everything has doubled.
As soon as funds arrive, I will be sending some of our ATM team immediately to join with some of our local contacts in a bid to bring an initial relief effort and also get an accurate assessment of the situation. All of our local team are Karen and they know how to move fast into the disaster zone, overcoming any obstacles that may confront them. They know how to find a way to get to the people.
As we are not a large international aid agency, the most effective way we can help is to target the ones who are usually neglected in aid assistance, such as mothers with infants, children and the elderly. With the funds we receive, we will target these specific needs to assure they are not neglected.
