What has happened in Myanmar?

On 2 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck the southwest of Myanmar. Winds of up to 150 miles per hour and waves as high as 3.5 metres destroyed houses and left 5,000 square kilometres of the delta region under water.

According to the December 2008 Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), some 84,500 people died and almost 54,000 are missing. An estimated 2 million lost their homes and livelihoods.

The main humanitarian relief response was coordinated by the Tripartite Core Grip (TCG) − the Myanmar Government, ASEAN and the United Nations.

How many older people have been affected?

With 1 in 12 of Myanmar’s population aged over 60, an estimated 200,000 older people have been affected by the cyclone.

What did HelpAge International do to help?

Working with local partner, YMCA, we responded to the immediate needs of affected older people in Yangon District and Kyaik Lat Township.

Relief assistance

We distributed food including rice and palm oil, and other essential items such as blankets, matresses and pillows, to 11,770 older people and their families. Ceramic containers and water filters were also distributed to provide them with safe drinking water.

Health

Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) provided basic healthcare each week to 20 of the villages hit by the cyclone. They carried out over 1,600 consultations. Up to 600 of these treated the specific health needs of older patients.

Older people’s psycho-social needs were also met. The services provided by MMUs were extended into the Dedaye township.

Shelter

We worked with the village shelter committees to provide cash grants to almost 1,500 of the most vulnerable older people so they could repair their homes.

Including older people

We participated in TCG meetings to ensure older people’s particular needs were met by the main relief response.

We organised meetings and workshops to promote the inclusion of older people in relief and recovery programmes. Over 100 humanitarian workers from 25 national, international, government and UN agencies took part.

What next?

Initial relief activities were successful in helping to restore older people’s homes, health and livelihoods to a certain extent. However, research carried out nine months after Cyclone Nargis hit revealed that further support is needed for a full recovery.

HelpAge and YMCA will continue to work with older people, their families and communities through a 3-year project, funded by the EU.

Working in the townships of Kiaklat, Pathien and Pin Oo Lwin, we will help set up community-based self-help groups to reduce poverty in rural Myanmar.

Activities will include:

Livelihood skills training, setting up rice banks and linking with credit services.

Training for older people and healthcare practitioners on healthy ageing, primary healthcare and the prevention and treatment of chronic age-related illnesses.

Providing homecare to older people through volunteers, based on the ASEAN homecare approach.

Carrying out community risk assessments and developing disaster risk reduction plans for target communities.

How can you help?

To support our ongoing work with communities affected by the Myanmar cyclone, please make a donation through partner Help the Aged's website.