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Myanmar

Humanitarian Community in Myanmar reaffirm their commitment to bringing positive changes to the lives of the people

Yangon, 19 August 2009 - At its inaugural commemoration of World Humanitarian Day today, the humanitarian aid community in Myanmar gathered together in Yangon, to pay tribute to their colleagues across the world who had lost their lives and had endured hardship and personal sacrifice to help those in need of help. They also paid tribute to the dedication of their colleagues in Myanmar, especially those who for the past 16 months since Cyclone Nargis, have been working hard in post-Nargis relief and recovery efforts.

"Especially in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, in spite of some of you suffering from personal loss and tragedy, you have been working beyond the call of duty to support the people in greater need in the cyclone-affected areas," said Mr. Bishow Parajuli, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and the Chair of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.

The vital role that civil society plays in responding to humanitarian crises was underscored both by the Executive Director of Myanmar Red Cross Society, U Khin Maung Hla and the Chair of the Myanmar NGO Network, Dr. Myo Thant Tyn, who spoke from experiences of the humanitarian efforts after Cyclone Nargis.

"Unless we involve communities and the groups that form within them in identifying needs, implementing programmes, learning and reflecting about what works well and what does not work, programmes are not likely to succeed. Even worse, they have the potential to cause more harm than good," he said.

The occasion was also "an opportunity to reiterate the partnership that had been built through the humanitarian efforts in response to Cyclone Nargis - which included good cooperation between the Government, ASEAN, donors the UN, INGOs, local NGOs and the community," said Mr. Parajuli .

"Let us unite and continue our strong partnership to address these critical needs in the cyclone-affected areas. The affected population is awaiting our action to improve their lives," said Dr. Niken Gandini, who spoke on behalf of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Secretary-General for post-Nargis Recovery in Myanmar.

Through partnership built on mutual trust, the humanitarian community here in Myanmar has proven its ability to effectively respond and deliver humanitarian assistance in close collaboration and coordination with Government authorities at all levels to the vulnerable people in their time of need.

Such partnership would need to continue to be strengthened, not only in the delta, but also in other parts of the country.

UNIC Yangon