The Salvation Army provides aid to cyclone victims in Myanmar

The Salvation Army is at work in Myanmar, bringing hope to the victims of Cyclone Nargis. Commissioner David Bringans, territorial commander, Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory, reports: “Our people in Myanmar have been working tirelessly since the cyclone hit their country. There are four teams of people distributing aid in and around Yangon (Rangoon) and among the small, badly-damaged townships surrounding the city. Safe water, food and shelter equipment have been their priority and this work continues.”

The difficulty of getting visas for aid workers has further hindered assistance by The Salvation Army from outside Myanmar. Even the territorial leaders, based in Singapore, have been unable to secure visas to visit and support their teams in Myanmar.

Despite these obstacles, Salvation Army personnel already in Myanmar were working hard to provide assistance to cyclone victims within hours. They have gone into areas in which the Army has not ministered before, where before the storm, the population lived only in shacks.

As The Salvation Army in Myanmar continues to respond to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda announced that it will allocate $50,000 from general funds to support this relief effort.

The Salvation Army’s efforts continue in Myanmar as cooked meals and water are provided to victims of the disaster. At two specific Army locations, clean well water is being pumped for those in need.