UN RELIEF WING HAILS PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT TO AID APPEALS AFTER MYANMAR CYCLONE

UN RELIEF WING HAILS PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT TO AID APPEALS AFTER MYANMAR CYCLONE New York, Jun 19 2008 5:00PM Private sector donors have emerged as a vital contributor to international appeals for aid after last month's devastating cyclone in Myanmar, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said today.

About $30 million in contributions has been provided by the private sector, including $10 million raised by the various national committees of the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) around the world.

OCHA said the biggest individual private contributors include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has given $3 million to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Total oil company, which has given $2 million and provided fuel to transport relief supplies.

Many companies are channelling their donations through the Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF), which is managed by OCHA so that funds can be quickly directed in the wake of a disaster.

More than 134,000 people are dead or missing as a result of Cyclone Nargis and the subsequent tidal wave, which struck Myanmar on 2-3 May, and as many as 2.4 million people are affected. The Ayeyarwady Delta area and the country's most populous city, Yangon, are among the hardest-hit areas.

Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) has unveiled its action plan to try to prevent the spread of dengue fever, which is endemic to Myanmar. The number of cases is expected to rise because of a forecast increase in mosquito breeding sites after the cyclone.
2008-06-19 00:00:00.000

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