Work is still under way to assess the scale of the devastation caused by the cyclone, which brought winds reaching 190km/h (120mph) to Yangon and the Irrawaddy Delta area of lower Burma. The worst natural disaster in Myanmar in decades, Nargis leveled five areas, including the capital Yangon and the low-lying Irrawaddy River Delta.
Yangon Update
Exotissimo Travel Myanmar's Yangon reopened Tuesday after the storm finally passed through the city.
It seems Yangon is damaged but has survived and work is underway to clear up the mess. Yangon has returned to a semblance of normalcy, with cleared roads and electricity available via generators. Internet access has also returned and our office in Yangon can send and receive emails.
All hotels are open and operating even if electricity must come via generators and is limited to night time only in some hotels. Transportation is possible and many fallen trees have been cleared from the roads. The airport at Yangon is fully functional and international and domestic flights are operating as normal. Travel to upcountry destinations is completely safe and life and tourist activity in Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake is continuing as normal.
The Disaster in the Irrawaddy Delta
The humanitarian disaster is in the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta region where the storm caused a sea surge that smashed through towns and villages.
"The people in the Delta are in desperate need of food, shelter and clean drinking water," said Su Su Tin, managing director of Exotissimo Myanmar.
"According to the BBC and Red Cross reports are coming out of the delta coast, particularly the Irrawaddy region, that in some villages up to 95% of houses have been destroyed," said Matthew Cochrane of the International Red Cross.
The official death toll has risen to 22,000 people, but tens of thousands are still missing. Experts believe that the final toll will eventually top 100,000. Ten thousand people died in the town of Bogalay alone, state media said. The storm destroyed roads, downed power lines and flattened houses, and early estimates are that over a million people have been left homeless.
Drinking water shortages are expected to reach the same scale as that experienced during the 2004 tsunami. Water purification units will in desperate need in the coming weeks.
Exotissimo Helps the Irrawaddy Delta
Exotissimo has et up an emergency fund with a donation of 20,000 USD, and over 15,000 USD has been donated by our generous travel trade partners. This fund will be managed by Exotissimo until we find a trusted and effective NGO or charity to take over.
With a staff of fifty in Yangon located in the modern Sakura Building where there is still electricity, we are in a unique position to help quickly and effectively and to ensure that funds go directly to where they are needed most.
Exotissimo Myanmar is sending a team directly to the Delta region to provide relief. The team will distribute rice and potable water, and rebuild houses or temporary shelters.
Donate to the Myanmar Cyclone Relief Fund
If you wish to help the people of Myanmar donate here to make a credit card donation for any amount. To put things in perspective: 40 USD will buy one bag of rice that can feed a family of four for a month; 300 USD will pay for a basic house to shelter a homeless family.
By visiting our site today, you have shown that you have a heart and want to help the poor victims of the recent cyclone in Myanmar. These unfortunates may never get the chance to 'thank you' in person. On their behalf we would like to say 'Thank you'.
Exotissimo Travel is a leading Destination Management Company in Southeast Asia. We are not an aid or charity organization, though we do represent a network of 14 operations offices across the area, including four offices in Myanmar. We work and live in the area out of a shared love and connection with the people and the place.
Disasters can destroy lives in an instant, and we are working to minimize its awful impact. Please join us in this effort to provide hope to this unfortunate area. Small contributions now can make incredible differences for many.
Every donated dollar will go to relief organizations. We will use our experience in Myanmar to ensure that the aid goes to charities able to provide the relief efficiently. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
To donate: www.exotissimo.com/myanmar-cyclone/relief-donation.html