Help the Aged is working alongside HelpAge International (www.helpage.org), a charity that helps disadvantaged older people, and the YMCA in Yangon (Rangoon) to deliver aid to elderly people affected by Cyclone Nargis in Burma. Cyclone Nargis struck the south west of Burma on Saturday 3 May. The country was battered by winds of 150mph, which swept away homes and destroyed crops. The total death toll is not yet known, although it has reached around 100,000 so far and continues to rise. In addition to this high death rate, up to one million people have been left homeless by the catastrophe. Since the cyclone hit, a state of emergency has been declared in the five regions that were worst affected. In these areas there is a desperate need for food, shelter, water, basic medicines and healthcare. 300 YMCA staff and volunteers have been sent to Burma on behalf of Help the Aged and HelpAge and they will initially target 10,000 older people throughout Hlaingtharya, Bogalay and Labutta. They will help these people by providing them with food, safe drinking water, shelter, medication and other items that are vital to survival. Godfred Paul, who is Regional Emergency Co-ordinator at HelpAge International, said: "Survival needs are the most urgent. Many people have lost their homes and most of their household items have been destroyed. We are immediately setting up community kitchens in the worse affected areas. We will shortly be providing relief packages consisting of food and non-food items such as cooking and eating utensils, torches, blankets, plastic sheeting, clothing and sandals." Godfred also emphasised the need for clean water in these areas, particularly for older people who are very vulnerable in these situations. He said: "The other urgent need is water. Poor sanitation, bodies in the water, and flooding could all bring disease. We will be supplying water purification tablets, first aid kits and vaccinations against water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery." Although the news tends to focus on the children that have been affected by this tragedy, older people are also a very vulnerable group. As Godfred explains, the ageing population of any country face many challenges during emergencies like this, which is why Help the Aged and HelpAge International are focusing their efforts on helping them. Godfred said: "It is important to assess older people’s needs and ensure that they are included in the relief effort." YMCA workers are also thought to be distributing cooked food to elderly people who are unable to cook for themselves and over the last weekend, they took 50 older people to their office in Rangoon where they received food and vital health check-ups.
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