20 May 2008
Red Cross update: Myanmar
The delivery of Red Cross aid and relief items into cyclone devastated areas of Myanmar will increase sharply this week
when the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies sends five 40 tonne charter flights into
Yangon.
"The needs of survivors in large parts of the country remain acute... These larger flights will make our operations
more cost and time-effective, and most importantly enable us to send more aid into Myanmar," said Igor Dmitryuk, Head of
the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' regional logistics unit in Kuala Lumpur.
The Red Cross relief effort into Myanmar has included the delivery and distribution of 42,000 mosquito nets, 36,000
tarpaulins, shelter kits for 35,000 people, over 20,000 jerry cans, and over 7,000 kitchen kits.
From distribution points in Yangon, Myanmar Red Cross volunteers have worked tirelessly to distribute more than 180,000
water purification tablets, 28,000 litres of clean drinking water, 23,000 items of clothing, and 12,000 jerry cans to
tens of thousands of cyclone survivors in affected areas, including Laputta and Bogale.
"Emergency shelter and access to clean water remain priorities. While the relief pipeline we have established will help
us to reach more people, more is needed if we are to avert a catastrophe on an even greater scale." says John Sparrow,
the International Federation's spokesperson in Bangkok.
ENDS