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Six months
after Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta, a second emergency threatens the Delta’s population. With community ponds contaminated by sea water in the
storm surge and water tanks destroyed, the approaching dry season could make drinking water a scarce commodity. And this brings with it the risk of communicable diseases, such as diarrhoea and
typhoid.“Each year, many villages in southern areas of the delta have to resort to buying water as their water ponds dry upâ€,
says Maryanne Leblanc, Merlin’s water and sanitation manager.“Added to this, many boats used by the population and by water
vendors were destroyed in the cyclone. Those who still have transport will probably have to go much further afield to find water than usual. More critically still, people just
don’t have the resources they normally do to buy water, having had their livelihoods destroyed by Nargis.â€Providing clean
water has always been a priority for Merlin in Myanmar. Immediately after the cyclone we delivered drinking water and hygiene kits to affected communities, pumped out 147 contaminated ponds and
repaired water tanks in health centres and schools. As the rainy season ends, however, cleaned ponds and rehabilitated water tanks are becoming empty.Merlin
has installed six water treatment units in the worst affected areas. These units desalinate water and can produce up to 34,000 litres a day. However more drastic measures are needed as the dry season
advances.“Shipping water through the delta in barges may be the most effective and rapid means to reach those communities lacking fresh
water†says Andre Steele, Merlin’s water and sanitation advisor.Andre has been travelling the delta’s myriad
waterways, measuring the saline content of the water to determine where the sea water meets the freshwater. With this knowledge, Merlin will be able to place more water treatment units in areas where
the water is saline, while using less costly methods in areas where fresh water is available. But like the barging, water treatment units are very expensive.Merlin has been working in the Laputta District, one of the areas hardest hit by the cyclone, since 2004. Merlin staff and a network of community health workers have been working
against the clock to deliver much-needed aid to people of Laputta.Since the cyclone, Merlin has:treated 44,835 people
in mobile and static clinicsscreened and treated 11,595 children for malnutritionmobilised villagers in repairing the
damage done to their homes, roads and community buildingsprovided villagers with crops, fishing nets and other tools to reestablish their livelihoodsReflecting on the period since Cyclone Nargis, Dr Paul Sender, Merlin’s Country Director in Myanmar says: “It is clear that much more has been achieved in respect of responding to the emergency than many would have imagined possible. The role of ASEAN has been
crucial in terms of providing a bridge to the government. As a consequence, Merlin’s staff have been able to move freely through the Delta and provide help where it is most needed. We
have the potential to avert a water scarcity crisis from happening and we have a fully operating programme in place. Whereas the fear before was that aid was not getting through,
Merlin’s achievements over the past six months show that funds have been used effectively. We now need to see a repeat of the generosity we saw after Nargis to make sure that the
people living in the delta are not subject to a second tragedy.â€Read about one of Merlin’s community health workers, who was tragically affected
by the cyclone and is now serving the needs of his communityRebuilding
the Delta - Six months on from Cyclone Nargis
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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