Myanmar Update: Pandaw Launches Appeal for Flood Aid

myanmar flooding

As massive flooding continues to displace thousands in Myanmar, particularly in the Sagaing and Magwe Divisions near the Pandaw Charity operational base at Pagan, Pandaw has launched an appeal for aid to the region.

Pandaw has said it will support the relief effort to remote villages by dispatching the Kalay Pandaw next week with 100 tons of rice and a full medical team from the Pandaw Clinics. With a draft of only two and a half feet, Pandaw expects the Kalay to be able to penetrate inland areas to deliver food and medical aid. 

Purser Ko Win Hlaing, who led the Pandaw Charity Cyclone Nargis relief operation in 2007, will once again assume command. He created the Pandaw Family Box, containing life essentials, and will work on reviving this again.

To donate, visit www.pandawcharity.com and click through to the online donation page.

Travel Update

Thus far the floods have killed at least 69 people, contaminated water and cut off power, phone, roads and rivers, Reuters reports. More than 250,000 people have been displaced. 

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has dispatched emergency assistance to areas affected by the flood, including Bago, Chin, Magway, Mon, Rakhine and Sagaing.

"With so many areas cut off, we are still trying to get a clear picture of how these floods have affected people in Myanmar," WFP Country Director Dom Scalpelli told Reuters. "Food security will be seriously affected. Thousands have lost homes, livelihoods, crops and existing food and seed stocks."

According to Channel News Asia, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said that the United States would announce an aid package. The U.S. embassy in Yangon is working with Myanmar officials to determine aid priorities. 

"We express our hopes that the impact of this can obviously be dealt with minimal further loss of life and disruption," Kerry told Channel News Asia. 

Yesterday destination management ICS Travel Group reported that the flooding has closed the following travel routes within the country:

  • Chin State (including Mt. Victoria)
  • Kalaymyo and Tamu
  • Monywa
  • Salay
  • Hsipaw-Lashio (by train)
  • Bhamaw-Katha (by car)
  • Mawlamyaing
  • Sittwe and Mrauk Oo
  • Magwe Region
  • Irrawaddy Region

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.