05.05.08 - The Caritas network of Catholic aid agencies is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar (Burma) caused by Cyclone Nagris.

The storm hit the Irrawaddy Delta region on Saturday morning 3 May. Nagris badly damaged infrastructure in the largest city Yangon (Rangoon) and destroyed tens of thousands of houses across the area.

Caritas Internationalis is coordinating relief efforts for its 162 national members and working with staff in the region.

Communications to Myanmar have been severely affected and a clear picture of the devastation is yet to emerge.

Caritas Internationalis Emergency Response Team Leader Dolores Halpin-Bachmann said, "There is an urgent need for access to aid workers to the affected areas so that we can assess the damage, start to provide food, shelter, clean water, and medical assistance. Myanmar is a poor country and will most likely need international help to respond to a disaster on this scale.

"We've only been receiving sketchy reports, but they're enough to make us concerned about the humanitarian situation. Nagris hit a major city with a population of five million people. In that environment, we know how important it is for people to get access to clean water to stop the spread of disease.

"Caritas knows from experience that the first few days are crucial to saving lives. Following the Asia Tsunami in 2004, hundreds of thousands of lives were saved because of the rapid and effective response of the humanitarian community in the early phase of the emergency. The government must do all it can to help aid workers respond."

Caritas works before, during and after an emergency, supporting people to rebuild their own lives.

For more information, please contact Caritas Internationalis Head of Communications Patrick Nicholson on 0039 06 698 79725 or 0039 334 3590700 or nicholson@caritas.va.