FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2008

Contact: Susan Laarman 503-341-3799 or slaar@imagina.com

- With another cyclone possibly forming off coast, preparations underway

Portland, OR - A Mercy Corps humanitarian aid worker said the conditions in Myanmar are extremely serious and worse than he expected. Mervyn Lee, Executive Director of Mercy Corps Europe is in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar where he is working to help coordinate the massive emergency response effort needed to help the estimated two million people who are homeless and need assistance.

Three additional Mercy Corps aid workers will begin work in Yangon Thursday morning. They are members of the agency's Global Emergency Operations team (GEO). Mercy Corps experts emphasize the importance of using experienced emergency response workers to lead recovery efforts.

Staff at Mercy Corps' international headquarters in Portland are preparing to send material aid to the country amidst reports of another cyclone forming off the country's coast. The supplies will travel to Bangkok where the emergency response team can pre-stage delivery if more humanitarian aid is allowed in the country. Some supplies could also be delivered to Sichuan Province in China to help Mercy Corps' emergency response efforts for earthquake survivors.

Mercy Corps officials remain hopeful that the Myanmar government will allow more humanitarian assistance in the coming days. Top concerns of Mercy Corps staff include clean water, food and sanitation.

Updates from aid workers will be posted on Mercy Corps web site www.mercycorps.org.

Mercy Corps is currently accepting donations for humanitarian assistance to cyclone victims. Distribution of donations will be monitored by Mercy Corps and reputable local partner organizations.

HOW TO HELP: Mercy Corps Myanmar Cyclone Fund Dept NR PO Box 2669 Portland, OR 97208 www.mercycorps.org 1-800-852-2100

About Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1.5 billion in assistance to people in 106 nations. Supported by headquarters offices in North America and Europe, the agency's global programs employ 3,500 staff worldwide and reach more than 16.4 million people in more than 35 countries. Over the past five years, more than 89 percent of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programs that help people in need. For more information, visit www.mercycorps.org.