Dubai Cares relief mission in Myanmar a success

A Dubai Cares Operations team returned home Monday from Myanmar after successfully delivering over 60 tonnes of relief supplies, including 200 multi-purpose tents, teaching materials and countless school supplies for the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

Equipped with facilities and relief materials to offer immediate solace to the children, the temporary structures will serve as schools and child protection centres, complementing the on-ground efforts of other NGOs.

The delivery operation follows the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The humanitarian aid will address the children’s long-term need to recover from the crisis, restore normalcy and rebuild their lives.

Dubai Cares is the world’s largest charitable establishment solely devoted to improving primary education for underprivileged children. Its initiative in Myanmar stems from its philosophy that guaranteeing the continuity of children’s education is as important as ensuring their physical well being.

Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of the Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: “Our intervention is based on a post-crisis strategy that extends beyond the immediate needs, and focuses on the sustained development of the children.”

She added: “Our objective was to offer immediate aid to ensure that the children could be placed on the path of recovery helping them begin their rehabilitation process following the trauma suffered from the devastating cyclone.”

The Dubai Cares delegation was received by government officials at the Yangon International Airport, and provided crucial assistance in unloading the 60-tonne shipment aboard the Boeing-747 cargo plane.

She continued, “Reports from my team on the ground told me that the country’s only unloading vehicle could not reach the airplane’s cargo bay, so they worked hand in hand with more than 200 Burmese volunteers to implement the arduous task of physically unloading the shipment. The entire operation took over six hours.

“The magnitude of the catastrophe helped them maintain a positive attitude and successfully achieve our objective in the affected areas. We hope that our efforts are helping make a difference to the victims of the cyclone.”

Cyclone Nargis slammed into coastal towns and villages in the rice-growing delta on 3 May, leaving over one million people homeless, and a further 24 million stranded with no access to electricity and water. The official death toll currently stands at 22,000, with figures expected to reach the 200,000-mark.