Myanmar: UNDP responds to Cyclone Nargis

Press release

British Fund Boosts UNDP’s Community-Based Early Recovery Programme in Worst Hit Areas

6 June, Yangon, Myanmar - The British Government has pledged two million dollars boosting the United Nations Development Programme's efforts to assist the people in the cyclone-ravaged Ayeyarwady delta region through a community-based early recovery project aimed at addressing urgent livelihood needs. more..

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Cyclone-Hit Myanmar is First Field Visit for New Regional Director

22 July - Tha Pyay Kone is only just beginning to recover. Cyclone Nargis hit the small community in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady delta early on 3 May, sweeping away homes, trees, household goods and farm equipment. The village school was damaged, fields were inundated, and only a couple of concrete buildings were left intact.

Still, Tha Pyay Kone was lucky. No one in the community of 357 died in the cyclone, which left nearly 140,000 people dead or missing in the delta. The local people were able to regroup quickly to start rebuilding their homes and to plant this year’s rice crop.

Ten weeks after the cyclone, this was the scene that greeted Mr. Ajay Chhibber, UNDP’s new Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Chhibber made Tha Pyay Kone his first field visit in his new capacity, to get a sense of how communities are coping after the cyclone. His visit on 18 July came at a time when UNDP and other agencies are working with donors to ensure that urgently-needed relief and early recovery efforts continue.

“What was striking was how strong and positive the community seemed, especially when you think of what they have gone through, and how much they have been able to do already,” says Mr. Chhibber. “UNDP is able to provide effective support to the affected villages because of our long-standing community programmes in these areas.”

On 10 July, the UN and international NGOs appealed for over US $300 million to continue humanitarian activities in the Ayeyarwady delta. Of this amount, almost $50 million is for early recovery, which includes UNDP projects to help restore homes, livelihoods, and community infrastructure.

“It is critical that agencies are present right now for places like Tha Pyay Kone to help them during this transition period and to build even stronger communities,” said Mr. Bishow Parajuli, UNDP Resident Representative in Myanmar, who joined the trip.

The most urgent job is planting rice paddy. Following the cyclone, the community, and others like it, had no time to waste. Alan McMahon, UNDP project manager for the delta, points out that any land left unplanted, and every day of delay during the planting season, could have an effect on food security in the region for the next 18 months.

UNDP provided three power tillers to the village and FAO has provided seed. The tillers have been in constant use since they were delivered, allowing the village to replant all 404 acres of paddy belonging to community members.

UNDP is also providing tarps and other construction materials to families that are rebuilding their homes, as well as cash grants to the most vulnerable households – such as single-parent families, and those without land – to help them get back on their feet.

The agency is also supporting the rebuilding of infrastructure – such as the community drinking water tank, which was flooded with sea water during the storm, and is currently unusable. UNDP has provided funds so that community members can take time out from other activities to help rebuild the tank, which they are doing in teams on a rotation basis.

When asked what help would be most needed in the coming months, community leader U Ki Li Sho told Mr. Chhibber that the top priority was construction materials to rebuild the elementary school, followed by ensuring a safe source of drinking water during the dry season. “Building back better must be a cornerstone of the recovery,” said Mr. Chhibber.

UNDP’s job is made easier by the fact that the agency has been providing assistance to the community, and has been working in the surrounding area, for more than 14 years under the agency’s Human Development Initiative which supports 60 townships across the country. In fact, the elementary school in question was built in 1999 with help from UNDP, as part of a joint project with UNESCO.

Other help to Tha Pyay Kone over the years has included providing farm implements and energy-saving stoves, setting up self-reliance groups, and training on the use of compost and raising livestock. Two self-reliance groups had saved up common funds worth close to US $3,000 at the time the storm hit.

“We are here to support the work you are already doing,” Mr. Chhibber told the community at the end of his visit. “This school should be rebuilt, but it is also important to take the time to build it even better, so that it can withstand any future storm, and provide shelter.”