From: Liz Stone
To: Programs Team; Community Engagement Team; Corporate Services Team
Cc: DD's Email List; Donor Processing; Leadership Team
Subject: FW: Burma CARITAS AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE - Thursday 8 May 2008

                       ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,MEDIA RELEASE

Caritas Australia: TheCatholic Agency for International Aid and Development  Development

24-32 O’Riordan St, Alexandria, NSW, Australia, 2015 Toll Free1800 024413 Facsimile1800 887895

            Emailcaritas@caritas.org.au Websitewww.caritas.org.au ABN90 970 605069

Burma Cyclone Nargis Appeal

Info sheet and FAQs

May 6th 2008

Situation

A category 3 cyclone (Cyclone NARGIS) struck Burma (Myanmar) on the morning of Saturday 3rd May with winds approaching 190km per hour.

The death toll has escalated significantly as more information comes to hand (currently at least 15000 (including 10000 in the town of Bogolay alone) – at least 100,000 people have lost their homes – likely both these figures will rise.

The rice bowl of Burma is worst affected, known as the Irrawaddy Delta (pronounced Ear-A-waddie), surrounding the Irrawaddy River which runs through the country and is the main supplier of rice (Burma is the largest per capita rice consumer in the world)

Major cities affected are Rangoon (former capital which Burma’s generals renamed Yangon) pop 6 million and also Bogolay and Laputto.

Communications to the affected areas are bad at the best of times but virtually non existent at the moment due to the cyclone – this further hampers an adequate and appropriate response

Urgent needs

The cyclone has polluted much of the water supplies in the affected areas and clean water and water purification is urgently required.

Shelter is required for at least 100,000 people in the short  term.

Food supply will be required - as much of the rice paddy has been inundated with silt and stores have been destroyed (likely to be an ongoing issue until the next rice harvest) – and further exacerbated by the international food shortages.

Infrastructure, already degraded through decades of neglect, has been badly affected (some reports suggest as much as 95% of the housing and infrastructure such as roads and bridges along the cyclone’s path is destroyed) – this will take years to rebuild.

Caritas Response to Cyclone Nargis (Burma)

Currently we have little information from our Caritas partners on the ground (due to the priority of assisting those affected and the poor communication systems in the country) about Caritas’ response.

Caritas regional partners in India and Bangladesh have extensive experience in dealing with emergencies of this nature and will be approached about lending assistance and capacity to Caritas’ international response.

Caritas International is are sending an emergency assessment and response team composed of specialists from a number of member agencies across the world including from Asia (as above), Africa and Latin America.

Caritas Australia will support the immediate needs (food, clean water and shelter) and will focus on the medium to long term task of rehabilitation and rebuilding communities.

Caritas work in Burma

Caritas Australia has worked in Burma for almost 20 years, working predominantly with the local Caritas agency known as Karuna though the following programs

• Vocational Skills Training Program in Kengtung Diocese, Eastern Shan State – Partners: Karuna Kengtung Social Services (ongoing)

• Promotion of Self-reliance for Karen Migrant Families (IN THAILAND, Mae SOT): Partner: Australian Karen Organization (just started)

• HIV\ AIDS Education Program in Western Burma (Sagaing Division & Chin State): Partner: Hope Adelaide (ongoing)

• HIV\Aids Program for Burmese People in Mizoram, India: Partner: Hope Adelaide (ongoing)

• Capacity Development Support to National KMSS Office: (in collaboration with CIDSE-Burma working Group): Partner: Karuna Myanmar Social Services (ongoing)

• Rural Credit Project in Mandalay Diocese – Partner: Karuna Mandalay Social Services (ongoing)

• Potable Water Supply in Tonzang and Mindat Parishes, Chin State – Partner:Karuna Hakha Social Services (ongoing)

• Public Health Care \ Water and Sanitation Project in Pinlong Quarter, Kalaymyo – Sagaing Division: - Partner: Karuna Hakha Social Services (recently completed)

• Prevention of Trafficking – Awareness Raising and Job-related Skills Training for the Youth of Kengtung Diocese, Eastern Shan State – Partner: Karuna Kengtung Social Services (ongoing)

For refugees forced out of Burma living on the Thai-Burma Border - through  the Thai Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), Caritas Australia provides relief supplies of food, mosquito nets, blankets and housing materials to 127,000 Mon, Karen, Karenni and Shan refugees in various settlements along the border.

Caritas provides assistance also to

• the Karenni Education Department by training teachers and developing the curriculum in three Karenni Camps mainly in Mae Hong Son Province (TBBC).
• support legal assistance and social services to refugees and asylum seekers; practical assistance to refugees from Shan State, in particular educational and welfare assistance (in particular to children) in Ranong district (Jesuit Refugee Service – JRS).

In both instances, this is a long term commitment. We contribute AUD yearly 150,000 to TBBC and AUD 150,000 to JRS.

FAQ’s on Burma

Development in Burma: World Health Organisation rates Burma as one of the least developed countries 190 out of 191. Tight political control by the country’s ruling junta and persistent conflict, largely perpetuated by the military regime, severely restricts development and development programs.

Burma or Myanmar? Burma is the historic name of the country (which we are using), Myanmar is the name given to the country since the military regime re-named the country after 1990.

Burma recent Political history: Democratic elections in 1990 saw Aung San Suu Kyi (promounced Ung-San-Sue-Chi) elected but the ruling military generals refused to accept the results and maintained power. The Burmese regime since then has been particularly brutal, doing all it can to maintain power.

Life in Burma before Cyclone Nargis: The military regime control much of the country, though there are a number of ethnic groups with their own military wings and conflict remains common, particularly in the Wa state (where most of Australia’s heroin comes from) and the border areas near Thailand. Infrastructure in the country has crumbled, food remains scarce, education and health systems have virtually collapsed.

Population: 47 million - of which Burmans constitute the majority (about 70% ) with a number of major indigenous ethnic groups Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Mon 2%, other 5% with Chinese constituting 3% and Indians 2%,

Any further information required - contact Liz Stone, Caritas Australia, Community Engagement Manager on freecall: 1800 024 413 or: 0408 009 688