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In the wake of cyclone Nargis, nearly 2.5 million Burmese face starvation, dehydration and life-threatening disease. Women and children are especially at risk, comprising more than half of the victims in the region. International response to cyclone Nargis has been met with opposition by the military junta in
Burma, while China has blocked the UN Security Council on actions necessary to move forward. The Nobel Women's Initiative urges world leaders to respond to this urgent matter so that the survivors of the cyclone receive life-saving humanitarian aid in an expedient manner.
We encourage you to support efforts to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches survivors of cyclone Nargis. If you choose to support another worthy organization, we encourage you to support ones that have an on-the-ground presence or connections inside the country, such as:
 The Women's League of Burma (WLB) is an umbrella organization comprised of 12 already-existing women's organizations of different ethnic backgrounds from
Burma. WLB is in close contact with ground organizations involved in the relief effort in order to ensure survivors receive direct access to emergency relief assistance. To learn more about the Women's League of Burma, click here.
The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), provides free health care for refugees and other individuals who cross the border from Burma to Thailand to escape violence and oppression.
 MTC and sister organizations have mobilized in response to cyclone Nargis by forming an Emergency Assistance Team, (EAT-BURMA). EAT-BURMA is comprised of 8 medical organizations working at the grassroots level to provide aid and assistance to the survivors of cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy and Rangoon division areas.
EAT-BURMA is working with networks of local organizations and concerned individuals in Burma to get food, water, cooking equipment, shelter, clothing, health services and rehabilitation to those most in need, by working directly with the affected communities. For more information on MTC and EAT-BURMA, click here. In addition to MTC, the Global Health Access Program has also joined EAT-BURMA to address the humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis.
Save the Children UK has been working in Myanmar (Burma) since 1995, and operates in all five of the affected regions. Save the Children currently has 500 staff working on the ground to distribute aid, many of whom have been personally affected by the cyclone.
Save the Children is responding to the emergency by distributing basic relief supplies such as rice, noodles, plastic sheeting for shelter and protection, kitchen equipment, oral rehydration salts and water purification tablets.
Over the coming months Save the Children will focus their attention on child protection, education, food security and livelihoods. Of particular concern is the protection of children who have been separated from their families. Save the Children is setting up child friendly spaces for vulnerable children where they can play and be safe from harm and neglect, whilst they work to reunite them with families and carers. To donate to Save the Children UK, click here.
MADRE responds to humanitarian crises by mobilizing financial, humanitarian, technical, and human resources to enable partner organizations to meet immediate needs of women and their families and develop long-term solutions to the crises they face.
MADRE calls on governments, international institutions and relief organizations to incorporate the needs and expertise of women in response to cyclone Nargis. MADRE understands that an effective recovery operation must acknowledge the threat to women's lives and recognize the unique social roles that women play in communities.
MADRE is working with the Women's Human Rights Defenders Network and Burmese women's organizations to meet the needs of the community devastated by cyclone Nargis. To learn more about MADRE's relief efforts, click here.
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is responding to the flooding disaster with immediate relief and long-term recovery work in Burma. AFSC is committed to a long-term recovery that is flexible to the needs of the Burmese people, building on ongoing partnerships with community groups and schools. To learn more about AFSC's relief efforts, click here.
Click here for More Information on
- Ways you can Help
- Donating
- Statistics
- Aid Organizations
- Maps of the devastated area
- Burma News Links
More Ways You Can Take Action
Send a message to Chinese authorities - stop blocking UN action, The Burma Campaign, UK
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