In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, rice has reached some of the most severely affected people through the hands of Lutheran World Federation. This significant accomplishment follows two weeks of assessing, planning, coordinating, and waiting.

Through Action by Churches Together, Lutheran World Federation churches around the world, but particularly in Asia, stand ready to respond to the disaster. Assistance is available closest to the disaster from LWF Mission and Development (through the Mekong Mission Forum) and LWF World Service (through country programs in the region). Those regional programs connect through the Asia Zone Emergency and Environment Cooperation Network (AZEECON) consisting of the LWF country programs in Cambodia, India, Nepal, and RDRS, the former LWF—now localized—country program in Bangladesh.

Through the ACT appeal, LWF World Service is investigating possibilities of assistance with community relief and rehabilitation. Requests from local Myanmar (Burma) organizations include health and sanitation as well as reconstruction needs. Local organizations have itemized water, food, clothing, and immediate health care for various diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, pneumonia, bronchitis, malaria, and typhoid fever; as well as roofing sheets and nails, bricks, bamboo, plastic sheets, palm leaves, and cement.

Ideally, LWF hopes to share human resource capabilities to empower local organizations to respond. LWF has provided a roster of skilled and experienced people ready to assist in the ACT appeal. Such assistance can include overall project coordination; communications; planning, monitoring, and evaluation; administration and logistics; technical assistance; and financial management. Challenges remain in obtaining visas to send in personnel.

Current negotiations with UNHCR and IOM (International Organization for Migration) may lead to partnerships with them in the organization and management of displaced persons camps or other recovery roles in Myanmar. Earlier efforts to open an LWF program in Myanmar (Burma) are on hold pending clarification of the junta's stance on welcoming new NGOs into the country. According to reports via the UN, the junta currently does not allow registration of new NGOs.

As the name implies, Action by Churches Together has a long history of support and work through local organizations. Thus, the rice, clean water, and temporary shelters already distributed in the affected area have arrived through ACT-supported local organizations. The commitment we make now to people whose lives have been devastated by the cyclone ensures that lives can be rebuilt.

For security reasons, we are not naming any of our partners—in person or by agency—in this article.