6/6/08 – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – 20 Percent

“I been following the statistics from the other NGOS and UN here in Myanmar. Our little church has been able to send 20% of the total amount of delivered help compared to all the agencies put together!!

This is a miracle and a testimony of the power in the church of God.”

Marco

31/5/08 – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Latest report

FTH’s partner church in Yangon is blessed to have as part of it’s congregation a former UN Development Program Manager who is working full time as a logistics and program manager throughout this disaster.

A short summary until yesterday what the church has distributed:

  • 150 tons of rice to almost 40,000 individual families (each family consists on average of 4,5 people),
  • On top of the rice many other kinds of foods have also been distributed
  • Every second day 1800 litres of pond-water are filtered through the water purifying systems and given out
  • A medical team (6 doctors, 8 nurses, 6 pharmacists) treats between 200 and 300 patients every day
  • 89 temporary shelters are under construction of which 31 were completed until yesterday.
  • Because of the noticeable work our church is doing, the UN is funneling increased food and resources through the church.

31/5/08 – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Updates

“Hi Stefan!

No, we haven´t any funds set a side for the church members homes more than the money for 8 homes that was a sent by a church in Australia and the money you already sent us.

All the money we receive goes to the everyday cost of food and other costs. The report that I got yesterday was that 89 homes was under construction and 31 of them was already finished (58 i still being built).

A team of professional engineers are on the payroll so that the homes are being built properly and to speed up the process.

If FTH wants to help us build the other 170 of these homes we would be more than happy!

We are amazed by there heart for Myanmar. Thank You Stefan for doing such a wonderful work, you are a key person in what is happening in Myanmar. Thank You!!”

Marco

28/5/08 – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Souls Saved!

“I received an email from our Pastor in Yangon last week.

He joyfully told me that the previous Sunday service was packed with newcomers best of all 125 of them gave their hearts to Christ!

Yesterday I received word from him again that “the church was more full than I’ve ever seen it” and another 150 people became Christians.

Praise God that the physical help distributed by the church has opened hearts for the Gospel.”

Stefan Radelich

FTH International Director

1.48am 22/5/08 – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Thank you

Dear Friends and Partners,

Thank you once again for your support, your prayers and your concern. It is greatly appreciated and is a real encouragement to us here.

Here is the latest news of our continued aid distribution. We have been privileged to work with the organisation Feed The hungry. They have donated four water purifiers for use in areas where dirty water is still being used for drinking, washing and cooking.

The Feed The Hungry team accompanied us to some of these areas and trained some of our church staff to use the machines. The local people living in these areas, and ourselves, were amazed as the brown, dirty pond water was transformed into clean, pure drinking water. Even the taste and smell was good! The need for clean water has been a very urgent need and now, we are able to use these filters to purify the water, cases of water bourne diseases are sure to lessen.

Through UNHCR we received dried noodles, ovaltine, bags of rice and fish. We were able to distribute these to those in most urgent need and, again, our help was keenly accepted. We have also been given 500 cooking pots so now some people, who weren’t able, are now able to cook in their homes again.

We have also been able to begin building temporary houses for those whose homes were completely destroyed. This will provide much needed shelter from the storms that seem to come most nights. Once people have these temporary houses rebuilt they will be able to get their lives back to some semblance of normality. It is exciting to see houses going up where just hours before there was a pile of bamboo sticks. As the people move in, these houses will soon become homes again. Later our desire is to help build better, more permanent homes for these people.

Despite all the great things we have been able to do some people are still living in conditions that are very bad with little shelter from the weather. They are still struggling for the basic essentials such as food, but we are committed to continue helping these victims of cyclone Nargis. We trust that our God will continue to lead us so we will be able to help in the most effective possible.

Thank you for all your help Keep praying for us here God Bless

Senior Pastor,

Yangon Church, Myanmar

21/5/08 11.32am – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Distribution Update

“We continue to distribute food and some materials for emergency shelters in camps today. We shared the gospel and gave Gospel tracts in three camps today.

We have discovered 200 families that need temporary residences. They had been staying in public schools, but the Government is telling the schools to reopen for education, and the families need to leave.”

Click here to read testimonies from people needing shelter.

21/5/08 3.28am – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Distribution Update

As of today, our partner church in Yangon has distributed food and relief items to 60,000 people. New avenues of distribution continue to open up allowing us to make deliveries of emergency rations to survivors in the Boogale region in the Delta.

20/5/08 11.28am- Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Distribution Update

“Our Pastor estimates that 250 church family members houses needs to be rebuilt. Besides that, pastors from small churches are now calling every day asking for help. They have no outside contacts and their church member’s homes are destroyed and even some churches are completely flattened.
We want to be a help these Christians who have no were else to turn. Thank You for all support! What you do for the lest you have done for Jesus.”

16/5/08 11.40pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update –Stefan Radelich Update

Distributions continue to go well. While foreigners like myself are still restricted in travel to certain areas, we are pleased to be working with team members from the local church who have better access to the disaster areas.

We are visiting many camps. LOTS of kids at these camps. There are people young and old… all are there because they lost their homes, possessions, and livelihood.

I met one lady, Tha Thing (pronounced Ta-Ting) who was 93… she  is about 3 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds. She was soaking wet and all alone with no family. She had a great attitude though and loved to dance.

Click here to read the full update.

14/5/08  10.00pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Field Report Day Two

FTH has posted a summary of day one activities in Yangon which you can read by clicking here.

14/5/08  9.07pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Stefan’s first Impressions

FTH has just released Stefan’s initial impressions on arrival.

You can read his report by clicking here.

14/5/08  10.50am – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Stefan Radelich on the ground

FTH are pleased to confirm that International Director, Stefan Radelich arrived in Yangon early yesterday morning. Stefan has been able to meet up with our Pastor contact at the local church which is acting as a relief centre for survivors of the catastrophe.

The church was able to make three large distributions of food to about 2000 families with the scant resources of the church before the disaster. Clean drinking water, food and shelter remain the most important priorities.

When asked whether there is still a need for emergency funding – Stefan’s reply was adamant,

“Absolutely. No question.”

We are firming up supply routes for emergency cash, cross border bulk shipments. The greatest problem the Pastor is facing now – is an empty bank account. There are local supply points where supplies can be purchased at a reasonable price – but nobody accepts an IOU in Myanmar!

Please contact the office or send your best gift via an online donation today.

13/5/08  10.47am – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Let me in!

The U.N. have published the current visa applications that are still pending – 54 visa applications have been made since the disaster occurred, from humanitarian and disaster relief experts from around the world.

Only 4 have been approved.

(revised 14/5/08)

12/5/08  4.06pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Stefan Radelich

“The reports from our contacts on the ground describing the devastation are reminiscent of the Tsunami in 2005 — the scope and depth of the destruction is beyond what words or pictures can convey.

Millions are now homeless, there is no power, no running water and people are looting stores to survive. Two of the churches we know have generators to provide power, and were willing to be set up as relief centers, but they had no supplies to help the overwhelming number of survivors. Feed The Hungry is purchasing food, blankets, plastic sheeting, and other first-response supplies in Yangon to meet the need.

Buying food, blankets, tarps and other relief items in Yangon will be costly but it must be done. At times like this, cost is not an option. We have to do whatever it takes to help save lives and that means buying supplies in country for the time being.

Our plan is to transport relief supplies from Thailand to the FTH relief centers as soon as possible which will give us more buying power and insulate us from opportunistic suppliers in the affected area.”

Stefan Radelich

FTH International Director

12/5/08  3.48pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief update – Not enough!

According to a BBC news report, the Burmese State Television stations have revised upward the official death toll to 28,458, while 33,416 were still missing after the cyclone.

The article leads with the headline that quantity of aid reaching Burmese survivors is ‘nowhere near enough”.

12/5/08  2.45pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – En route

The latest OCHA reports state the official death toll now is 22,997, with 42,119 missing and 1,430 injured, although unofficial figures are considerably higher.

Based on the original Government estimate of 975,858 persons affected three days after the disaster in the eight most seriously hit townships, the UN now estimates that at least 1,500,000 people are severely affected.

In the midst of this confusion and instability, FTH Director Stefan Radelich is en route to Myanmar.

8/5/08  3.55pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Anything to Check-in?

FTH representative Stefan Radelich is booked to fly to Myanmar despite a lack of confirmation about the visa issue. Stefan will physically bring two water purification machines to assist.

The self-contained electro-mechanical water filtration and purification system which can produce over 225 liters gallons of pure drinking water per hour that is 99.999% free of bacterial, viral, or chemical pathogens. The system has been designed to remove sediment, bacteria and viruses from untreated water sources such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, springs, reservoirs, and wells.

8/5/08 3.42pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Travel Visas

Myanmar Government continues to delay the granting of temporary entry visas for all relief workers – greatly hindering the rescue efforts. FTH Logistics director Bob Boucek continues to lobby the Myanmar Embassy from Washington DC.

This is a continued, and urgent prayer request for a breakthrough in areas of travel visas, and customs to allow relief aid into Myanmar without military interference.

8/5/08  3.33pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief Update – Special DVD

FTH is preparing a special DVD report suitable for airing in your church service.

This video will be uploaded to our website but if you would like a copy for your church, small group, or business to help raise funds please contact the office.

7/5/08  12.11pm – Myanmar Disaster Relief update

FTH has been able to contact on our church partners in Yangon, Myanmar (Rangoon, Burma). Their 3000 member congregation and strong network of churches throughout the country places them as one it’s leading church groups.

Their facility is in good shape without power – but with access to a generator.

They have the manpower, they have the facility and capabilities

but they have no supplies… yet.

6/5/08  9.00am – Myanmar – Cyclone Nargis

FTH is working on securing distribution through to our three church partners in Yangon. FTH will begin bringing disaster relief that will help survivors of the deadliest disaster to strike South East Asia since the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, and ensuring that it will not be subverted by government or military agencies.

Current estimates show over 10,000 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 people are still missing.

More details will be posted here as they come to hand.