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ABCD BACKGROUND and CREDIBILITY

The Action Based on Community Development (ABCD), founded in 2009, is one of
the Community-Based Organizations in Sittwe, Rakhine State. Previously, we have been
representing as a society for the youth of Ye New Su ward, intending to support hardship
among the people in this ward.
After that, it grew up in Sittwe by volunteer activities in donation and contribution
with others partners when water scarce in summer in every years. The ABCD aims to assist
with humanitarian spirit for the needs of the community and targeted to promote lives of the
people especially at grass-root level, through participations in multi-sectors development.
Currently, we, ABCD have been growing up to a hundred of memberships those are
participating in many different activities of community development in Rakhine State. We,
frequently, reported the situation of community and our concern to the United Nations
agencies, especially UNOCHA and other civil societies whenever health hazard, natural
disasters and social needs occur. Our organization is therefore listed officially in MIMU
networking groups as a civil society of Rakhine State.
In this school opening season, our organization supported educational materials to
school children of PLHA in Rakhine. Our organization has carried out feeding program and
child friendly activities at pre-primary school of Department of Social Welfare in
commemoration of World Children days.
ABCD is taking a leading role among PLHA in Sittwe particularly networking
activities with Myanmar Positive Group (MPG) of Yangon. We are also active in community
blood donation campaign and well recognized as a civil society.
We have a plan to promote the community access to clean water points in water
scarce villages by community cost sharing schemes through negotiation with the local
authorities. ABCD is also functioning as a local partner in the field of humanitarian
organization by coordinating at various levels.

ABCD Volunteer Group

Contact Persons: U San Thein (Group Leader), Ph - 098522411
Ma Hnin Ei Khine (Coordination), Ph 098500838
U Kyaw Nu (Finance)
U Sit Thar Aung (Field Operation)
Ko Htun Nu (Logistics)
Ko Maung Nyunt Oo (Administration)
Email: abcd.ark.org@gmail.com
santhein2008@gmail.com
Address: No.4 , May Yu Road, Ye New Su Quarter, Sittwe, Rakhine

Please donate us to uplift and to improve the poorest people of Rakhine State through
participation in activities of multi-sectors development.
GIRI ေဒသ ရွိ ဆင္းရဲသ/ူ သားမ်ား ျပန္လည္အေျခက်စီဖို႔ ABCD အဖြဲ႔ႏွင့္ ပူးေပါင္းပါဝင္ေဆာင္ရြက္ၾကပါစို႕။

Volunteers are available from our group.

ABCD Volunteer Group

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ABCD Action Based on Community Development

Volunteer Group
Sittwe, Rakhine State

GIRI Cyclone Emergency Response Activities

(1) Situation Background
Several of coastal areas in Rakhine State of Myanmar have been devastated by strong wind,
heavy rains and high seawater due to landfall of Giri cyclone which was classified as
category 4. During the two days period, 22 to 23 October 2010, Kyauk Phyu, Myebon,
Minbya and Pauktaw were more severely affected than Sittway, Man Aung, Ann and Taung
Gope Townships. Many places were flooded by seawater and huge numbers of houses and
buildings were swept away by strong winds. According to the assessments of NGO and
government departments, 94,474 families (532,759 people) have been affected in 629 villages
of 169 village tracks along the coast of Rakhine State. About 47,200 houses were completely
destroyed and about 23,618 were partially destroyed by the cyclone.

(2) ABCD’s Emergency Response

After GIRI cyclone made landfall on 23-24
October 2010, in coastal region of Rakhine
State, the ABCD volunteer team carried out

Villages at East PhaYoneGar Island’s mountain range

emergency response activities for the
villages along the East Pha Rone Gar Island,
Pauk Taw Township. Most of the villages
are situated much closed to the seashore and
A village into a heap of rubbish
number of households for each village is not
more than 100. Most of the villages were changed likely a huge heap of rubbish and debris
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households by the strong wind and high seawater waves. All of the people are living in this
area by earning with fishing for their
livelihood, own a few cropping lands for
rations and very poor water resource.

Food donation to affected community

They belong to very poor knowledge and
educational background that is a cause and
A village destroyed by GIRI Cyclone
reason for their poverty. After post GIRI, it
need to support not only affected
communities and but also regional
development especially in heavily hit 4
townships through multi-sectors activities in
relieves, recovery and resettlement progress.
Approximately 60,000 people are in urgent
need of food, shelters, clean water with
ponds and wells in rural communities
contaminated by seawater and debris. Homeless people waiting for aids

(3) Food and Clothes Distribution

ABCD Team distributed food (rice and ground

nut oil), clothes and a few medicine for
common diseases. The team reached to 10

Food distributing with village committee

villages along the East PhaYone Ga Island

Groundnut oil distribution to beneficiaries

that belong to a total of 3,925 beneficiaries of
784 households. We distributed a total of rice
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10 MT, groundnut oil 100 viss, 20 bags of

clothes, ORS and a few medicines for eye and
skin infection and others such minor illness as
dysentery, stomach-ache, head-ache, cold and

Group activities in food distribution

fever etc. People still need food aids
because thousand of their paddy and crops

Volunteer participation at community level

land acres were destroyed before harvesting
season during the GIRI strike. The estimation
of people in need of food assistance is over
250,000 for the coming 3 months till end of the
winter season. If affected families food security
is not enough to support, they would be in the
big trouble situation in coming seasons.
(Clothes packaging before trip)

(4) Non-Food Items , NFI in need

The cyclone and floods exacerbated the

hardships of many poor people. As a cold
season is coming up in near future, shelter
assistance to vulnerable people and
household materials (Family kit) for

No shelter and family kit assistance, living in merely hut

resettlement of families are not only essential
but elimination of emotion caused by loss of
the properties and casualties. In the affected
area, many civil societies and agencies are
still supporting food ration emergency
People living under the bamboo mats shelter
response that only is not fulfill to achieve
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resettlement and recovery process because materials relied on by families uses were
contaminated or polluted by the dirty seawater
flooded and storm. According to NGOs and
UNs assessment, the most destruction was
caused on houses, properties, and community
infrastructures consist of water resources,
schools and health centers. Having access to
emergency family kits, hygiene kits and

Nobody in nice emergency small tent

shelters still remains one of the most urgent

needs. Approximately 47,200 families
(259,600 people) of totally destroyed are still
lack of their shelter and household materials

Damaged roofings

especially in Kyauk Phyu, Myebon, Minbya

and Pauktaw townships, at coastal region of
Rakhine State. About 94,474 families (532,759
people) have been affected in 629 villages of
169 village tracks in the middle area of Rakhine
State. Through provision of family and hygiene
kits and shelters that access to affected families
are having well and refreshing their emotional
suffering by living with their family members
Self-help shelters of a family
at previous places in terms of reorganizing and
resettlement.

(5) Water and Sanitation

In this region, 90 % of total villages do not

have sanitary latrines due to lack of
knowledge and education in water, sanitation
and hygienic behavior. On the other hand,
previously nothing of the projects
implementation by any NGOs and UNs
agencies is interested in promotion of the
well-being of the people in terms of
community development at Rakhine coastal Unsafe water source (drink and wash at a place)
region. It, therefore, is essential provision of
knowledge and education in water and sanitation behavior for affected communities through
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not only providing hygiene materials

but behavior changes trainings or
workshops. Hand dug wells, pond and
tube wells, and other water resources
approximately in 140 villages for a
population of 63,000 were
contaminated with seawater flooded.
Consequently, it might be suddenly
water lacking situation in the outreach
islands and surface water available
resources would be dried before
summer. The cyclone storm demolished
Flies threaten diarrhoea outbreak in affected villages
Unsafe water source at mountain, 3 miles away from
the most existing rudimentary sanitary facilities. the village
Currently provision of limited hygiene kits that
not cover for all beneficiaries and without
practice of basic safe hygiene education those of
situation still causes and remains for the spread
of diseases among the communities. People are
using unsafe water from the small streams and
shallow hand dug wells of earth surfaces that
cause possibly outbreak of infectious diseases,
mainly diarrhoea and chest infection
compounded the unfavourable situation due to
lack of safe water and unhygienic behaviour.

(6) Education
The GIRI cyclone destroyed approximately 400
schools in 4 townships including all level of
primary, middle and high, according to concern
agencies and Govt. assessment. All of them,
about 200 schools have been completely
collapsed or heavily damaged. That occurred or
related to school-less of nearly 29,000 school

Flap down the most reliable monastic schools

aged children and more increasing dropout
cases from schools. In the other hand, the
statement of education facilities in the Rakhine
State is the lowest level in the country. It is
also essential to rebuild and reconstruction of
infrastructures and schools upon children
focus on more increasing of school attendance
as normal situation in GIRI cyclone region.
School dropout children
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(7) Children Situation

Caused by cyclone, within the affected

area, children, younger and teenagers
people are dreaming and feeling to reform
their society at presence of their dirty
surrounding with destruction of their
houses, schools and buildings, lost of their

The children today are the leaders of tomorrow.

belongings and properties, living at tempo-
shelters. In this situation, we need supporting to
remedy their psychological emotional factors to

Save our venerable children

recover well being among their societies and
communities. These children are urgently in

With great expectation for school

needs of special protection to improve and recover
their life, due to the cyclone disaster and in part to
the deterioration economic situation in Rakhine
State. Child protection service delivery system

Knee injured child to be cured in hospital

and networking in Myanmar is very weak
and different with one village to another.
Among the communities, none of referral
system and awareness on children focusing
have being brought up in Myanmar, except
international agencies. They do not know to
Unplugged show for temporary emotional relieves
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whom they can report relevant cases. In

this context, it is very important to
continue raising awareness within
communities on child protection issues and
to mobilize those communities respond to
the needs of all children particularly
orphans and extremely venerable.

<< Activities in releasing of GIRI nightmare by singing

songs entertainment together with children

(8) Livelihood

In coastal region of Rakhine State, 60%

people of farmers, 30% of fishermen and
others 10% are living with different

Damaged fishing boats at foot hill

livelihood. Over three thousands of manual
rowed boat, about 500 engine boats, huge
Grief for her husband and lost of properties

number of fishing nets were lost or missed by

the strong water waves during the cyclone.
60% of salt production land and over 10,000

He said" How can we survive with zero homes, fish-nets,

boats, farms and works?”
MT of raw salt, 500 MT iodated salt and its
production field was totally destroyed
especially in Myebon, Pauktaw and partly in "Afraid forth coming seasons without earning and food
Kyauk Phyu townships. In this context, rations", they said.
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people are unable to reset or reorganize

their livelihood due to high indicator of lost
and deteriorating their social-economic
factors. Most of the casual labor families
daily earning are depending on regional
economic factors. Therefore, it is also need
compulsory intervention for rising of their
livelihood through focusing on Income
Generation or micro-credit scheme by
provision of boats, fishing nets, registered
seeds, fertilizer, skill trainings and technical support, etc.
Essential needs to support in all aspects of their
livelihood
(9) Health
Health service response in emergency
situation is essential for the affected
population. ABCD volunteers participated in
response activities through provision of

Dressing wounds of injured people by first-aid activities

common use medicines such as ORS, eye
drops and lotion for skin infection and
swelling, dressing wounds and others to Many people lining up for medicine of eye infection
remedy minor illness those of dysentery,
stomach-ache, head-ache, cold and common

Provision of minor illness medicines for common diseases

fever, and injuries etc. There are still remaining
some injured children those who occurred
during the storm strike in Kwan Chaing
village, that suppose to be cured longer-days in Bone injury of a venerable child
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hospital. At present, most of the people are

getting more and more eye sore, skin
infection and water born diseases and
children malnutrition.
The UN official said that “Rakhine State has
some of the worst social indicators relating
to children’s survival and well-being in
Myanmar ranking amongst the highest of all
State and Divisions in terms of malnutrition,
with prevalence rates of chronic
malnutrition of 39%, Global Acute
malnutrition of 9%, and Severe Acute
Malnutrition of 2.1%, according to 2003
MICS. If the household food security is not A care with sympathy of an ABCD volunteer
sufficiently support, severe malnutrition in
younger children may increased rapidly from the baseline rate of 2.1%.

(10) Agriculture and Forestry

Mainly, paddy (rice) production is the most

important business in our country. About 50%
acres of ripen paddy farms and 30% of
cropping lands, 50% of aquaculture farms,

Deforestation along the seashores caused by storm and

high seawater

Destruction of agriculture, horticulture and gardening

40% of seashore forestry lands (especially

mangrove trees) and 50 % acres of
horticulture and gardening lands were affected
during the GIRI cyclone. It occurred within
the weeks before the harvesting season and
nearly 21,000 acres of paddy farms and
cropping lands were either damaged or
destroyed. Out of this, about 10,000 acres of
lands were soil erosion because of salty Environmental changes because of deforest and afforest
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seawater flooded. Local traders and

businessmen predict that the people will face-
up higher price of rice and commodities in
coming raining season in terms of food
security in
Rakhine. Sunrise or sunset ??.. >>>

(11) Livestock
60 % of such animals as cows, buffaloes,
goats, pigs, chickens and ducks, and 10% of wild animals mainly living in the sea forest were
dead in GIRI cyclone in four heavily hit townships, Rakhine State. 70% of farmers will be
hardship in traditional cattle plough for planting the seeds in winter season cultivation as well
as coming raining season. The implementation program of focusing on farmers, farms
production and poultry other should take place in these regions to increase related ratios with
population in terms of livestock, food security and livelihood.

(12) HIV/AIDS
A villager said that “In our village, 4 people died of AIDS during the last two years”. These
cases occurred at Zin Kyun, GIRI cyclone affected village in Kyauk Phyu township. He also
explained that they might have this communicable disease when they were working in
oversea countries. In these villages, most people go to work in Thailand and Malaysia rather
than in Myanmar. It is necessarily to carry out intervention before reaching high risk level
spreading with their remaining families.

(13) Funding

The ABCD is finding the funds for the projects implementation which aims to promote and
well-beings of the people that are not only for the GIRI cyclone affected townships but also
the poorest people at grassroots level in terms of multi-sectors development in Rakhine State.
Even though we are endeavoring with timely manner for humanitarian aids and operational
activities, it is really hardship in fundraising because some of donors are more interested in
supporting funds to organizations that are nationwide organizations (most of them are Govt.
formed) instead of capacity or abilities of organizations. Moreover, almost all funding go to
Northern Rakhine State (NRS) rather than GIRI Cyclone Emergency Response projects in
coastal region of Rakhine State.

Reported by,

Action Based on Community Development

(ABCD) Volunteer Group
Sittwe, Rakhine State, 18 November 2010.
abcd.ark.org@gmail.com

ABCD Volunteer Group

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Let’s care the communities of GIRI Cyclone disaster.

A trip for GIR Cyclone Emergency Response by ABCD group

ABCD Volunteer Group