Myanmar: Red Cross Movement scales up assistance to help growing number of flood-stricken communities

Yangon / Geneva, 11 August 2015 – Today the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched an emergency appeal to support flood-stricken communities in townships across the worst affected regions of Myanmar. The appeal for 4 million Swiss francs (4.1 million US dollars) will provide relief and recovery support over 12 months to 58,000 people in the regions of Magway, Sagaing and Chin.

"The humanitarian impact of the floods continues to increase," says Professor Tha Hla Shwe, President of Myanmar Red Cross Society. "We are focusing our efforts where the needs are most acute. Many areas remain inundated and people in evacuation centres need emergency relief. Others, who are now able to return home, are finding their houses and livelihoods destroyed and their water sources contaminated. They will need longer term support over the coming months to help them recover."

The Myanmar Government estimates that one million people have now been affected by the floods which have impacted 12 of the country's 14 regions. Since the floods began in mid July, over 500 Red Cross staff and volunteers from branches in all flood-affected regions have been carrying out evacuations as well as providing first aid, relief supplies and clean water from its emergency stocks. So far, relief has reached over 50,000 people.

The emergency appeal is contributing to a consolidated Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement plan of action that will be targeting a total of nearly 100,000 people. The Myanmar Red Cross Society relief and recovery activities will be supported under the emergency appeal by the IFRC in Magway, Sagaing and Chin, and by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rakhine.

"Together we aim to support approximately 25 per cent of the affected population in the three regions where we will be working," said Udaya Regmi, IFRC head of delegation in Myanmar. "Over the next month people will need basic relief items but this will be balanced with distributions of cash to help them get back on their feet. Our longer term support will include help to rebuild homes and community infrastructure such as wells, water sources and latrines".

An estimated one million acres of agricultural land has been affected by the floods and assistance with re-establishing livelihoods will be another priority for the Red Cross.

"Together with the Myanmar Red Cross, the ICRC has mobilised its operational capacity in Rakhine to support the relief effort. As families go home we will provide practical support to both the clean-up efforts and assist the hardest hit families to re-establish their livelihoods," said the Juerg Montani, ICRC head of delegation in Myanmar."