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For Switzerland: CCP :17-586-625 and mention "Myanmar appeal".
For other countries: please give through your nearest CARE Member.
GENEVA (May 6, 2008) – CARE has launched an emergency appeal in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis that devastated Myanmar on Saturday. Recent reports suggest that as many as 10,000 people have died.
The full toll and extent of the devastation may not be known for days as phone and communication lines are still down.
CARE staff are already responding in the most affected areas of Myanmar and assessing the immediate needs.
While the CARE office was severely damaged, all 500+ staff are safe, accounted for and beginning work to bring immediate assistance to those people who have been hit hardest.
‘It is difficult to know at this point what the full extent of the damage will be. CARE is coordinating with the local government authorities and the United Nations to determine how we can provide help where it is most needed,’ says Jonathan Mitchell, CARE Emergency Director.
‘What we do know is that in a disaster of this magnitude and nature, the immediate needs will be water, food and sanitation, which we are ready to provide.’
CARE will be concentrating relief efforts on the provision of water, food and sanitation in areas severely affected by Cyclone Nargis, and is conducting assessments of outlying areas around the city of Yangon today.
There are significant concerns of disease in Yangon and its surrounds as the water system is not functional. Without immediate action diarrhea and dysentery could become killers, especially for small children, the elderly and those who are already ill.
Significant funds will be needed to ensure CARE can rapidly deliver immediate assistance to the thousands of people affected by the Cyclone.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Dowell, CARE International, Geneva, [email protected]
About CARE: Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience delivering emergency aid during times of crisis. Our emergency responses focus on the needs of the most vulnerable populations, particularly girls and women. Women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s emergency relief efforts because our experience shows that their gains translate into benefits for families and communities.