HISG Relief Effort:  HISG is connecting with partnering organizations in and around Myanmar to provide relief to the people.  Within a few days, we hope to identify locations where aid could be delivered and distributed.  HISG partners are also preparing for the long-term process of rebuilding homes, businesses, and lives.

Urgent Needs:  Medicine and medical supplies are much needed.  In 2000 the World Health Organization ranked Myanmar's overall health care system as the second worst in the world.  Food is another need, as prices have skyrocketed, with some staples tripling in cost.  Many communities desperately need clean water and water purifiers because thousands of displaced people are living in close quarters where infectious diseases are easily spread.  There is also an urgent need for tents and other temporary shelters for all the families whose homes have been destroyed.  Aside from these physical needs there are other challenges for aid organizations.  Communication is a problem because most powerlines and phone lines have been knocked down.  Transportation is also difficult because of fuel shortages, blocked roads, and many of the smaller boats that would be used to reach flooded areas were destroyed by the cyclone.