Monsoon brought substantial rain to the delta, but with dry season approaching more residents might need help buying water to see them through, says UN Resident coordinator for Myanmar, Bishow Parajuli. Pic: Aye Zaw Myo

THE United Nations resident coordinator for Myanmar, Bishow Parajuli, said earlier this month that only 50 percent of the money that the UN had requested to pay for Nargis relief efforts has been received.

“My message to donors would be that your generosity has been very fruitful in saving lives and reducing hunger and suffering for the people,” Mr Parajuli said in an interview with The Myanmar Times. “But as there was such a huge catastrophe, more and continued support is needed.”

This sentiment was echoed by a statement released two weeks ago by the Tripartite Core Group overseeing relief operations, which includes representatives from the UN, the Myanmar government and ASEAN.

The statement said that only US$240 million out of the $482 million requested by the Second Flash Appeal had been received.

“The early recovery area is of concern,” said Mr Parajuli. “Only 15pc of this has been covered. This sector is vital – it allows people to stand on their own ... ultimately helping them become independent of humanitarian aid.”

One factor that could exacerbate concerns over livelihoods is the expected scarcity of water in upcoming dry season.

“The problem is that many of the [communal] ponds have had saltwater come in,” said Andrew Kirkwood, the country director of Save the Children. “In some places the ponds have been cleaned out two or three times, but they are still salty.”

He said that it is normal during the dry season for many communities in southern areas of the Ayeyarwady delta to buy water to supplement dwindling supplies from natural sources.

“But this year there are fears that people will have to turn to water sellers months earlier than they normally would,” said Mr Kirkwood.

He estimated that an additional 12 months of funding would be required for water and sanitation work, and added that these long-term water programs and livelihood support initiatives were likely to be the ones most affected by lack of funding.

“In terms of our cyclone relief effort, we have enough money to fund the first year,” Mr Kirkwood said, “but the cyclone response budget beyond the first year is very small.”

Mr Parajuli said: “The challenge is to encourage donors to make a shift from the emergency funding they have given in the past to the new demand and need...We are continually pushing the envelope. What’s needed is much, much more – particularly for agriculture and livelihoods.

“We have programs to support fishermen to get nets, we are offering grants for people to improve their housing, microfinance for women, helping children go back to school and we want to support infrastructure needs.

Despite the shortfall in funding for the Revised Flash Appeal, Nargis has caused a massive shift in international donations coming into Myanmar.

“Many people have given positive feedback on the extensive humanitarian assistance that so far has been delivered by the UN and humanitarian organ-isations, in cooperation with the government and ASEAN,” Mr Parajuli said.
He also confirmed that many foreign governments have been generous with their support.

The US has given $50 million to the cyclone emergency relief efforts, when previous to Nargis they gave about $5 million a year. The Department of International Development in the United Kingdom has also responded with £45 million.

But it is too early to say whether this represents a fundamental shift in donation patterns. It is not new for NGOs working in Myanmar to struggle with funding.

Out of the 25 poorest countries in the world, the average amount of international funding per person per year is $58. This is 20 times more than the $2.9 per person Myanmar received last year.

It is clear that with funding for the Revised Flash Appeal only halfway to its goal and relief operations shifting to long-term development, the impact of the cyclone will remain even if the funding does not.