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Myanmar

Burma - Cyclone Fact Sheet #3, Fiscal Year (FY) 2009

Attachments

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)

Note: The last fact sheet was dated December 19, 2008.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

- In December 2008, the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), composed of representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Government of Burma (GoB), and U.N. agencies, released the first Post-Nargis Periodic Review based on October and November 2008 assessments conducted in 108 cyclone-affected communities. According to the report, the provision of humanitarian assistance has positively impacted affected populations but continued humanitarian and recovery assistance remains necessary to meet ongoing needs, particularly in western parts of Ayeyarwady Division.

- On May 7, 2009, assessment teams deployed to 102 communities in Ayeyarwady and Rangoon divisions to collect data for the second Post-Nargis Periodic Review, scheduled for release in July.

- On February 9, the TCG launched the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP) outlining a threeyear recovery strategy focused on livelihood, shelter, education, disaster risk reduction, protection, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities. In total, the TCG requested nearly $700 million to fund the PONREPP.

- In FY 2008 and to date in FY 2009, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided nearly $74 million in cyclone assistance to Burma, including more than $33 million in USAID/OFDA funding to support relief and early recovery activities for cyclone-affected populations.

ESTIMATED NUMBERS AT A GLANCE SOURCE
Total People Displaced 800,000 U.N. - February 23, 2009
Total People Dead or Missing 140,000 U.N. - February 23, 2009
Total Affected Population 2.4 million U.N. - February 23, 2009

TOTAL FY 2008 HUMANITARIAN FUNDING USAID/OFDA

USAID/OFDA Assistance to Burma - $33,589,103
USAID/FFP(1) Assistance to Burma - $28,063,200
DOD(2) Assistance to Burma - $12,273,152
Total USG Humanitarian Assistance to Burma - $73,925,455

CURRENT SITUATION

- As of late May, the TCG continues to facilitate planning, programming, and delivery of assistance to cyclone-affected populations in Burma. The TCG-managed PONREPP, which replaced U.N. Revised Appeal programs at the end of April, provides a platform for the transition from relief assistance to early- and medium-term recovery activities.

- Approximately 10 U.N. agencies, 60 international humanitarian organizations, and 40 donor governments continue to work in cooperation with the GoB to implement the PONREPP.

Agriculture and Food Security

- On January 22, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and U.N. World Food Program (WFP) released results from a joint Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to Burma. Based on the assessment, FAO and WFP reported that approximately 5 million people in Burma remain food-insecure and require emergency humanitarian assistance. In addition, cyclone-related damage to livestock and fisheries in Ayeyarwady and Rangoon divisions will likely continue to negatively affect food supply and income generation through 2009.

- Despite significant agricultural declines in cyclone-affected areas of Ayeyarwady and Rangoon divisions during the 2008/2009 harvest season, FAO and WFP forecasted normal to above-normal overall food production in 2009 due to expected increases in output from other regions of the country.

- Based on the CFSAM findings, FAO and WFP forecasted a 2008/2009 cereal output of 21 million metric tons (MT), representing a 3 percent decrease compared to the 2007/2008 output. However, the expected output represents a 10 percent increase compared to the five-year average.

- As of May 2009, WFP had delivered approximately 70,000 MT of food to more than 1 million cyclone-affected people in Burma and supported an additional 76,000 individuals through food-for-work activities.

- USAID/OFDA continues to support agriculture and food security activities throughout cyclone-affected areas, including programs designed to increase agricultural outputs and restore livelihood opportunities. In addition, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $3.3 million in FY 2009 to support economy and market system activities, including increased access to employment opportunities, restoration of household assets, and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure in affected communities.

Shelter

- According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), humanitarian organizations have supported the construction of more than 4,000 permanent shelters for cyclone-affected households since May 2008. However, as of late May, many affected households remain without adequate shelter.

- Approximately 90 percent of affected households included in the first Post-Nargis Periodic Review reported poor living conditions compared to pre-cyclone levels. In addition, an estimated 30 percent remained in households constructed with transitional shelter materials, including plastic or canvas walls and roofs.

- In FY 2009, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $800,000 to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support shelter activities in Burma, including programs designed to provide shelter for displaced families and host communities during the May monsoon season.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

- In response to an insufficient supply of safe drinking water and increased vulnerability to waterborne diseases following Cyclone Nargis, humanitarian organizations continue to provide safe drinking water to cyclone-affected populations and to support early recovery efforts, including the rehabilitation of destroyed or contaminated water sources.

- Since May 2008, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) has provided 250,000 people with safe drinking water. UNICEF has also assisted with the construction of eight water treatment plants in cyclone-affected areas with the capacity to produce between 4,000 to 15,000 liters of safe drinking water per hour. UNICEF's early recovery efforts include rehabilitation of 530 ponds and 246 wells.

- In FY 2009, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $800,000 to support WASH activities in Burma, including programs designed to increase access to safe drinking water and mitigate the impact of future water shortages through increased water storage capacity in cyclone-affected communities.

(1) USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP)

(2) U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)