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Alert
Myanmar
Tropical Cyclone Mahasen
Geneva, 13 May 2013
1. Brief description of the emergency and impact
A Red Storm Alert has been issued for Tropical Cyclone ONE (known locally as Mahasen). The cyclone is forming in the Indian Ocean and currently predicted to make landfall late Wednesday evening / early Thursday morning (16 May) as a category 2 cyclone, just south of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Associated heavy rains and strong winds are expected to affect Rakhine State in Myanmar, which neighbours Bangladesh. People living in the coastal areas are at high risk and very vulnerable to cyclones and floods. The Government, UN agencies and NGOs working in the State have been meeting and putting preparedness measures in place for a possible response. The government is working on a relocation plan which includes the use of public buildings in the identified risk areas.
2. Why is an ACT response needed?
The cyclone is expected to hit Rakhine state which has already been suffering from sectarian violence and has a sizable section of the Muslim population living as IDPs. The storm could possibility affect the lives of IDPs living in four townships of Rakhine State. Many of the camps are located in low-lying coastal areas susceptible to tidal surges. According to the Myanmar Humanitarian Country Team, 45,000 people living in Sittwe, Pauktaw, Myebon and Kyauktaw are the most vulnerable. Any additional disaster would be catastrophic for the people, who are living on minimal support. Hence an international response would be required to ensure necessary support for the most vulnerable people without any resources.
3. National and international response
ACT Alliance Myanmar is aware that the World Food Programme (WFP) is currently providing assistance in the form of food rations to the IDPs. This assistance could be extended to the population affected by this storm. The other relief needed would be temporary shelter and NFIs.
4. ACT Alliance response
ACT Forum members have agreed to assign the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to monitor the situation and report on the needed response. Should the cyclone hit, ACT Forum Myanmar members would decide whether to go for an RRF or preliminary appeal, depending upon the scale of the disaster.
Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jean-Daniel Birmele, Director of Finance (jbi@actalliance.org)
