The international community has reached 729,000 people in need of assistance following Cyclone Nargis’ deadly and destructive onslaught in May. This effort has seen the distribution of more than 14,000 tons of food, of a total 18,000 tons delivered.

 

These figures are among the preliminary findings of the Village Tract Assessment (VTA), part of the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment, conducted by some 250 team members from ASEAN, with support from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Government of Myanmar, and the UN and its IASC partners.

 

Among other notable findings, 45 per cent of affected households receive their food from humanitarian assistance, while 56 per cent receive food from the markets; 60 per cent of households report inadequate access to clean water; and three out of five villages have insufficient seeds for the next planting season – indicating a need for continued relief efforts, alongside early recovery efforts.

 

These calculations are based on preliminary findings of the VTA; presentation of these findings is available at the Humanitarian Information Centre for Myanmar. A final report is scheduled for release on 21 July at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Singapore.