Please read through the below message from a team who recently came back from delta region:
“I just arrived back safe and sound after a month stay in YANGON helping the survivors of Cyclone Nargis. Our team consists of 6 medical doctors 9 nurses and 15 other non medical (engineers, media, logistic and local student volunteers).

We focused on 2 areas that were badly effected.KUNGYANGONE which is 2
hours drive from Yangon and villages in LAPUTTA Township assessable by
boat onyl. We spent 5 days on a long boat and covered 14 villages that
were badly affected.

Our arrival at the villages marks exactly one month after the cyclone
but we were shocked to see the devastated areas still in very poor
condition with very little aid or none reaching them.We were well
equipped to treat thousands of patients but not prepared to be still
distributing bottled water which is very precious to them and even old
clothes that we were wearing.

General weakness was the main complaint as there was no nutritional
food for them to go with the supply of rice they receive. Many
multivitamin cocktail drips were given on board as our boat was
converted into a small hospital. They lack protein like canned
sardines as they dare not take the fish from the waters saying it has
fed on corpses.  Vegetables were nowhere to be found as all plants and
trees have been destroyed or uprooted. Fresh water is still a major
problem and drip bottles have to be opened and used as Oral
rehydration fluid for those who need it.(No clean water to mix the ORS
packets).We treated over a thousand patients and donated medical
supplies to thousands of unreached villagers through their medics.

The heat was unbearable for the 5 days we spent there as there was no
rain and villagers ran out of rain water supply they have collected.
Villagers call out to us to give them some water as we sail past their
shattered huts. The ponds that they used to collect rain water remains
scattered with dead mummified bodies and the stench was too strong
even for the villagers. Apart from mosquitoes and bugs, we encountered
armies of huge flies that have bred on decaying human and animal
corspes.Water borne and vector borne disease is just around the corner
for an outbreak if the situation remains unattended.

The scene that greeted us became more and more devastating as we
approach the Andaman Sea. Every village is like DE JA VU for us as we
unload water, nutritional food some tractors to the badly affected
villages. The journey began to take its toll on us as we return to
Pathein.Not only the villagers, but us relief workers also started to
suffer from post traumatic shock unable to sleep knowing there still a
lot to do.

The journey was tough. and we were all humbled by the expereince.All
of us cried in our hearts to see our people having to suffer so
much.We were all worn out but determined to go back as we all know we
did our best for them but it is still not enough. All of them still
need our help and yours.

We have now started our rebuilding process by digging tube wells for
the villages we have visited. Any kind of assistance will be greatly
appreciated.

Rgds.

Dr V”