Habitat for Humanity Myanmar
| Contact information | HFH Myanmar
C/o HFH Asia Pacific Area Office
38, Q House 8th Fl, Convent Rd
Silom
Bangkok
10500
Thailand
Phone: +66 26320415
Fax: +66 02632044
E-mail: ap_info@habitat.org
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Myanmar -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l 1
ALARGELY, rural country, Myanmar is the world’s largest exporter of teak and a principal source of jade, pearls, rubies
and sapphires. The Southeast Asian country has fertile soil and important offshore oil and gas deposits.
Habitat for Humanity’s involvement in Myanmar arose after Cyclone Nargis, the worst storm in decades, struck on 2nd May 2008. Some 145,000 people were reported to have perished and more than 50,000 others were listed as missing. Damage was estimated at US$10 billion.
In July 2008, international non-government organization World Concern started an integrated multi-sector disaster recovery program in 30 villages in Labutta township, in the devastated Ayeyarwaddy Delta, 200 km. southwest of the former capital Yangon.
Habitat for Humanity became one of World Concern’s coordinating partners in a phased program to facilitate early recovery and restore immediate access to food, water, shelter, income and healthcare.
Habitat’s principal contribution has been providing experts in design, construction and project management as part of the Seattlebased World Concern’s Cyclone Emergency Response and Recovery (CERR) project. Habitat has also helped supervise the construction of jetties and repairs of roads through a cash-for-work program funded by World Concern for affected families.
A key to the success of the program has been close cooperation with the government-backed village Peace and Development councils around the worse-affected township, Labutta. The councils have helped in such areas as reaching the most vulnerable families, identifying relocation areas, mapping, and identifying local people to receive training in carpentry and masonry.
More than two years after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, Habitat and World Concern have built 1,140 basic houses and repaired 24 others in 18 communities in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta. Habitat’s approach has been to build basic cyclone-resilient structures that exceed
United Nations standards for strength and space. The houses use strengthened timber-frames and are built on lightweight concrete stilts. Walls and floors are made from woven bamboo, and roofs use galvanized iron sheets. Each house comes with a latrine and water catchment system. Families also have solar lamps which can be recharged at charging stations in each community
Habitat provides technical supervision, skill transfers, materials and logistics. Families are encouraged to work on their houses, but most of the work has been under taken by paid workers. Habitat coordinates the logistics and transport of construction materials that
are often purchased in Labutta and shipped up to five hours away to the villages where they are needed.
As part of the program, six multi-purpose “safety” buildings have been built as a shelter from future flooding or other natural disasters. Each is able to accommodate and protect up to 300 people.
Habitat is continuing to provide funding support to World Concern during the two-year second phase of the program. Communities are being trained to reduce their risks during disasters and to earn a sustainable livelihood.
When phase two is completed, probably in April 2011, Habitat’s involvement will have assisted an estimated 7,000 families – or about 26,000 people – in 52 villages. Habitat’s work in the second phase has received funding from the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission (part of the UK-related Channel Islands) and the Hong Kong Christian Council. Last year, HFH Australia supported the project with funding from Baptist World Aid for construction of 102 core houses.
A World Concern report highlighted the high level of community participation in rebuilding houses, from “identification of beneficiaries to site planning, site cleaning and support in providing and training of workers.” At least 200 skilled and unskilled village workers have received on-the-job training on how to build cycloneresilient houses.
In the early days of the post-cyclone response program, before construction began, tool kits were distributed to 600 families to enable them to repair their homes and build temporary shelters for protection against the monsoon.
COUNTRY FACTS
Population: 53,414,374 (July 2010 est.)
Capital: Nay Pyi Daw
Area: 676,578 sq. km.
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%
Literacy: 89.9% (2006)
Urbanization: 33% (2008)
Access to Improved Water Sources: 71% (2009)
Access to Improved Sanitation Facilities: 81% (2009)
Sources: CIA World Factbook, World Bank
Updated: January 2011