Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Nargis Disaster Relief

From the afternoon of Friday May 2nd until Saturday May 3rd 2008, Tropical Cyclone Nargis slammed along the coast of Myanmar (Burma) devastating large parts of the low-lying delta region of the Irrawaddy River before ripping through Myanmar’s largest city Yangon (estimated population 6 million) for over ten hours. It cut a path 50 miles wide by 200 miles long, killing an estimated 200,000 people and thousands of animals. Almost 95 per cent of all homes in the rural areas have been destroyed. Real Medicine partnered with non-governmental organizations in Myanmar, who responded to the cyclone crisis by mobilizing staff into thousands of villages serving over 3,000,000 people of the Irrawaddy Delta. These workers provided immediate relief by installing clean water systems, temporary shelter from the rains, and food and basic medical necessities for the refugees.