Cyclone Nagir - Burma

Aid Teams on Standby in Burma

Aid workers from Handicap International’s Emergency Response Team are still awaiting authorisation to enter Burma to help those worst affected by Cyclone Nargis. Eleven days after 160mph winds devastated large parts of the country, including the capital Rangoon, the Burmese military government is still refusing to allow foreign aid workers into the country.

The official death toll has now risen to over 32,000, although it is thought the real number may be much higher. Millions of others living in badly affected regions such as Irrawaddy have been left homeless by the disaster and are desperately in need of aid.

A number of NGOs have recently managed to send aid to Burma via shipments but aid workers from Handicap International believe much of the aid delivered over the past week has not reached those who most need it, in particular disabled people. This is because the Burmese government insists on controlling the distribution of aid, despite lacking the expertise and equipment to do so effectively.

Handicap International’s experience of similar natural disasters indicates that disabled people are likely to be particularly badly affected by the cyclone. Often immobile and unable to find shelter, it is imperative that the disabled population benefit from the same assistance as the rest of the population.

The absence of immediate medical care for those injured in the cyclone may have also transformed many seemingly benign injuries into permanent disabilities. In addition to preliminary care, it is therefore essential that such vulnerable populations have access to physical rehabilitation to aid their long-term recovery.

Unable to gain immediate access to Burma, Handicap International has two emergency units standing by in Bangkok, Thailand, waiting for visas to allow them entry into the country. The teams consist of two emergency response specialists and four physiotherapists trained specifically to help disabled people. The teams say they are hopeful they will be granted entry and say their first priority will be assessing local infrastructure in order to enhance the capacity of local care facilities. They will then work on providing rehabilitation and fitting services to the disabled and also those injured in the cyclone.