HelpAge International is to work with its partner in Yangon, the YMCA, to deliver aid to older people affected by Cyclone Nargis. Some 300 YMCA volunteers have been mobilised to respond and will initially target 10,000 people in the three districts of Hlaingtharya, Bogalay and Labutta. The volunteers will provide food, safe drinking water, shelter and medication.

HelpAge International is also sending an Emergency Response Team to carry out an assessment of the specific needs of the estimated 170,000 older people affected by the disaster.   

Cyclone Nargis struck the southwest of the country on Saturday 3 May with winds of up to 150mph which swept away homes and destroyed crops. The death toll, now feared to have reached 100,000, continues to rise and as many as one million people have been left homeless.

A state of emergency has been declared in the five regions worst affected, where there is a desperate need for food, water, shelter, basic medicines and healthcare. The cyclone hit after the main rice crop had been planted, and Myanmar now faces a serious short-term and possible long-term problem in feeding its people.

Godfred Paul, HelpAge International Regional Emergency Co-ordinator, says: “Survival needs are the most urgent. Many people have lost their homes and most of their household items have been destroyed. We are immediately setting up community kitchens in the worst affected areas and will shortly be providing relief packages consisting of food and non-food items such as cooking and eating utensils, torches, blankets, plastic sheeting, clothing and sandals”.

“The other urgent need is water. Poor sanitation, bodies in the water, and flooding could all bring disease.  We will be supplying water purification tablets, first aid kits and vaccinations against water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.”

Older people face particular challenges during emergencies, but are not often identified as a vulnerable group. HelpAge International is the only international organisation focusing on the needs of older people and will be working with partners to ensure that they are able to access aid and get the supplementary feeding rations they need.  

HelpAge International is supported by its partner, Help the Aged, which has advanced funds to begin the relief effort.

How you can help

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched an urgent appeal to help those affected by the Myanmar cylcone.

You can donate online by visiting the DEC website or call 0870 60 60 900.

The DEC is an umbrella organisation that launches and coordinates the UK's national appeal in response to major disasters overseas. HelpAge International’s partner organisation, Help the Aged, is one of its members.