Myanmar  >  Our action · Humanitarian situation · Photos · Viewpoints · Previous actions

Myanmar, a disaster prone country

Cyclone Giri hit the western coast of Myanmar’s Rakhine State on 22 October 2010. This natural disaster resulted in severe human losses and displacement as well as damage to houses and infrastructure, including roads and bridges in coastal areas.

Official Government figures indicate that 260,000 have been affected, over 100,000 people became homeless, and at least 45 people are dead or missing as a result of the cyclone. Approximately 20.380 houses were completely destroyed, and a comprehensive joint assessment was conducted three months after the cyclone and was led by SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL with support from UN-HABITAT, IOM, local partner NCV, and a few other organizations. This assessment indicated that in the worst-affected areas, as many as 91% of houses that had been destroyed/damaged were still not rehabilitated. Additionally, approximately 17,500 acres of agricultural lands and nearly 50,000 acres of aquaculture ponds were damaged by the cyclone.

Over 6 months later, however, needs still remain, especially in the shelter, food security and livelihoods (agriculture and embankments) sectors, including indebtedness due to a loss of income opportunities.

Myanmar is a disaster-prone country, with floods, cyclones and earthquakes being the main risks for the population. In recent years, a significant loss of life and livelihoods were caused by disasters such as Cyclone Nargis (May 2008) which killed approximately 140.000 people, Cyclone Giri (October 2010) and the earthquake in Shan State (March 2011), to name a few. Whilst these events represented severe losses for the population, they did also resulted in increased cooperation between the Government, the international community and local organizations, as well as greater preparedness and response interventions. Notably, coordination methods and mechanisms have increased between SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL and the government at the township, State, and federal levels. The authorities have regularly granted access to SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL to access to the Giri affected areas from the early stages of the disaster's assessment to our ongoing implementation and technical visits to the area.

In particular, over the past three years, the Government, together with the humanitarian and development aid community have invested in disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness measures and programmes in support to communities, in order to reduce their vulnerability and increase their readiness in case of disasters. SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL committed to supporting and complementing preparedness and response efforts, both in the immediate, and longer-term, including for the immediate replenishment of stocks as part of disaster preparedness for the upcoming monsoon season.

Update : may 2012