Staffers, Supplies on Standby to Avert Potential Public Health Crisis in Myanmar

Posted: 12 May 2008

Oxfam is concerned that 1.5 million people severely affected by the May 3 cyclone in Myanmar are now facing a new threat. Without access to clean water and sanitation, storm survivors could be pushed into a public health crisis.

Experts have estimated that the death toll from cyclone itself is likely to climb to 100,000 people or more. If public health needs are not urgently addressed, that figure could rise even higher.

“We’re concerned that people are going for a long time without water, food, and shelter—the basic necessities for life,” says Miriam Aschkenasy, Oxfam America’s public health specialist. “As people become dehydrated and malnourished and as they remain exposed to the elements, they are at greater risk of contracting diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria.”

Without a massive humanitarian intervention—including the provision of clean water—Oxfam is concerned about the potential for a major public health crisis. The organization is calling for the removal of visa restrictions on international aid groups so they can bring urgently needed help to survivors.

“Oxfam is concerned for the millions of men, women, and children affected by the devastating cyclone in Myanmar,” said Sarah Ireland, an Oxfam regional director for East Asia. “We and others have decades of experience in disaster response and especially providing water and sanitation to disaster-affected people. We are certain the international humanitarian community can make a difference on the ground, and that’s why we want to work with the people of Myanmar affected by this terrible disaster.”

Oxfam has already committed $1.2 million to an initial response, and has a large stockpile of supplies ready to ship including 10,000 family hygiene kits, 20,000 water buckets, and 40,000 facemasks. Oxfam has mobilized an experienced team of public health experts, logisticians, and water engineers who will work closely with local agencies in Myanmar. And the organization is continuing to provide funds to other international aid groups already established in the country.

Through decades of experience, Oxfam has learned how to move fast and efficiently when disaster strikes. Based on its experiences during the Bangladesh floods and Indian Ocean tsunami, the aid group expects it would be able to start pumping clean water to thousands of people within days of its arrival in the disaster zone.

And clean water and sanitation are essential. Without them—and without enough health expertise to ensure an adequate response—a public health catastrophe could hit the region.